SINGAPORE — The politics surrounding the future of TikTok’s operations in the United States could undermine the need for better understanding and assurances when it comes to protecting user data, a security expert said Thursday.
Beijing-based ByteDance, which owns the popular short video sharing app, rejected Microsoft’s bid to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations and instead chose Oracle to become TikTok’s U.S. technology partner. Sources previously told CNBC that Oracle became ByteDance’s partner of choice due to the company’s close ties to the Trump administration and its willingness to accept a deal where it didn’t buy 100% of the assets.