Essential information
- Reports suggest that ByteDance is working on a U.S.-specific iteration of TikTok to address the concerns raised by the U.S. government.
- This new application would take the place of the existing version currently held by over 170 million users in the U.S., and TikTok is expected to start notifying users about the transition.
- Insiders indicate that this new TikTok application might launch on September 5, right before the upcoming ban deadline on September 17.
- The U.S. government has been explicit about its worries regarding TikTok, especially regarding its connections to China and its handling of user data.
ByteDance is allegedly embarking on a significant endeavor: crafting a dedicated U.S.-oriented TikTok app for its consumer base.
This news comes from The Information and its reported sources, revealing that ByteDance is developing a U.S. version of TikTok with an eye on a September rollout. An insider familiar with the situation advised the publication that “transitioning all of TikTok’s users in the U.S. to a new app, along with their profiles, could lead to technical challenges in practice.” There are approximately over 170 million TikTok users in the U.S., for context.
Although this may sound peculiar, sources indicate this might be a strategy to alleviate the U.S. government’s “data security” apprehensions. Recall that this concern significantly motivated the government’s scrutiny of TikTok’s (ByteDance) data management in China.