While it has experienced growth as teens and kids having more free time on their hands through summer vacation, internet and data privacy advocates are quick to call the attention of tech giants when data protection is placed at risk.
Even the US Department of Defense has to encourage its employees to avoid installing the app on their smartphones. CNN Business reports that "US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle warn that the app could pose a national security risk, and are calling on regulators and intelligence agencies to investigate TikTok's ties to China.
In response, Sean Kim, Head of Product, TikTok US, in it's corporate website, says, "TikTok is committed to building an experience that protects the safety and privacy of our community."
Roland Cloutier, TikTok's Chief Information Security Officer, says, "Building technology security defenses is a constant effort to anticipate, plan, and react. What has been clear since I started this job almost three months ago is that the team at TikTok is fully committed to protecting the privacy of our users and providing transparency on our overall security efforts."
Technology works only when the user's data privacy is upheld and protected.
