Regardless of going through a ban within the U.S. resulting from (amongst different issues) knowledge safety considerations, TikTok is pushing forward with updates to its U.S. person safety measures, this time through new partnerships with cybersecurity corporations HaystackID and OnDefend to watch its security and knowledge safety measures.

TikTok says that these new contractors will function “Unbiased Safety Inspectors“ for TikTok U.S. Knowledge Safety Inc. (USDS), which is a gaggle that it formulated as a part of “Undertaking Texas,” its broader, billion-dollar initiative designed to appease meet the necessities of U.S. regulators. 

As defined by TikTok:

“USDS controls entry to protected U.S. person knowledge, content material suggestion, and moderation programs within the safe Oracle Cloud. This construction brings heightened focus and governance to TikTok’s operations within the U.S. together with knowledge safety insurance policies and content material assurance protocols to maintain U.S. customers and their knowledge secure and guarantee customers have an genuine expertise on TikTok. Increasing on this established focus, HaystackID and OnDefend, with further help from Mandiant Consulting, will function the ISIs for USDS. This collaboration is designed to make sure the safety and integrity of the TikTok app, its supply code, person info, and the U.S. platform as a complete, highlighting TikTok USDS’s dedication to assembly stringent cybersecurity requirements.”

The mission, TikTok says, goals to establish potential safety dangers to U.S. customers via technical safety testing and validation of the TikTok U.S. platform.

Which, presumably, would assist to enhance the app’s attraction to U.S. regulators and senators, although actually, it appears a bit too late, now that the U.S. Senate has already handed a invoice that can pressure TikTok into U.S. possession, or see it banned in America if it refused to take action.

No different U.S.-owned platform is required to go to those lengths to make sure knowledge safety, and it’s solely due to TikTok’s Chinese language possession, and potential connection to the C.C.P., that it’s having to undertake these additional measures to reassure U.S. officers.

However they’re already not satisfied, the destiny of the app has been determined in that respect. However possibly, if TikTok can overturn the invoice, or possibly if, say, Donald Trump is re-elected as President, the sell-off push may nonetheless be halted earlier than it goes forward.

And if that occurs, then this could possibly be a extra necessary consideration. However proper now, it looks as if a little bit of an afterthought, a component of a mission that’s already did not win over the decision-makers in Washington.

Nonetheless, it’s a greater end result for U.S., customers, with unbiased verification of TikTok’s knowledge safety processes. Whether or not that’s related for 7 months, or for much longer, nevertheless, stays to be seen.