Chinese-owned social media site TikTok told US senators it was working on a final agreement with President Joe Biden's administration that would “fully safeguard user data and US national security interests”, a letter seen by Reuters on Friday said.
TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew told senators in a letter dated Thursday the short video app was working with Oracle Corp on “new advanced data security controls that we hope to finalise in the near future”.
Last month, TikTok said it had completed migrating information on its US users to servers at Oracle but it was still using US and Singapore data centres for backup.
The letter acknowledged that employees in China “can have access to TikTok US user data, subject to a series of robust cybersecurity controls and authorisation approval protocols overseen by our US-based security team”.
TikTok said as it continues to work on data issues, it expects “to delete US users' protected data from our own systems and fully pivot to Oracle cloud servers located in the US”.
“We look forward to connecting with members of Congress to discuss the substance of our letter,” a TikTok representative said in a statement to Reuters.
Republican Marsha Blackburn said TikTok “should have come clean from the start but instead tried to shroud their work in secrecy”.
She added that Americans needed to know that, if they are on TikTok, China has their information.
“TikTok needs to come back and testify before Congress,” she said.
The letter comes nearly two years after a US national security panel ordered parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok because of fears that US user data could be passed on to China.
“We know we are among the most scrutinised platforms from a security standpoint and we aim to remove any doubt about the security of US user data,” the letter said.
TikTok is one of the world's most popular social media apps, with more than one billion active users globally and counts the US as its largest market.
The Top 10 most followed people on TikTok — in pictures
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The five pillars of Islam
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Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Price: From Dh117,059
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Specs
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Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
