TikTok hires NCC for independent data security audit amid growing concerns

TikTok has hired the services of the British cybersecurity company NCC to autonomously evaluate its data management and security protocols within the framework of “Project Clover.” This initiative is designed to address concerns surrounding data security, and it comes at a time when various governmental organizations have prohibited the use of TikTok due to concerns about potential data harvest by the Chinese government.

TikTok is concurrently establishing data facilities in Ireland and Norway to house the data of European users, with one Irish facility already operational. TikTok and NCC intend to collaborate with European policymakers to provide further clarity on the implementation of this system. The launch of this effort is a response to increasing pressure from legislators regarding data security.

Why does it matter?

This move addresses increasing concerns about the privacy and security of user data on the TikTok platform. With TikTok’s widespread popularity and the scrutiny it faces, taking proactive measures like this helps reassure users and regulators that steps are being taken to safeguard their data from potential exploitation. In the past years, several countries, including the UK and Belgium, as well as the EU, have, in one way or another, restricted the usage of the TikTok app on government devices connected to networks due to worries about data privacy and cybersecurity. TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has consistently asserted its independence and denied sharing user data with the Chinese government.