– We think the concerns about security are misunderstood. We have never shared data with the Chinese authorities, nor will we do so if we are asked to, says James Lyons to Dagbladet.
He is head of policy comms in Europe for the very popular – and controversial – social media Tiktok.
– We are completely open about which data we share with which authorities and regularly publish this on our websites, Lyons continues.
We meet the Briton, who is a former journalist, in bright and modern premises in the center of Oslo. The European boss is in Norway as part of a charm offensive against the public by the controversial technology giant.
– Never sold drugs
Scandal
The scandal surrounding the popular social media began in earnest in this country when Dagbladet was able to reveal that Minister of Justice and Emergency Emilie Enger Mehl used her service phone to update her followers on Tiktok.
It all ended with Mehl having to apologize and promise not to use Tiktok on her work phone.
After the row, both the Storting and the government decided to introduce a ban on having the Tiktok app on service phones.
– Was it a problem that the Minister of Justice had Tiktok on his phone?
Lyons looks at his Norwegian colleague, Kjartan Sverdrup.
– We don’t mean that, no, he says.
– We think it’s safe to have Tiktok on your phone, but if you want to use another phone, that’s up to you.
– We understand that people have these concerns, but we do everything we can to answer them, says Lyons.
He will not comment further on the reactions of the Norwegian public.
TikTok warning after slaughter
Want a ban
Young Conservative leader Ola Svenneby has gone so far as to demand a ban on the app in Norway.
– I am sure that Tiktok will be banned. It is only a question of when, he told E24 in March.
In the United States, Congress has recently passed precisely a ban if the Chinese owners do not sell out.
– We accept that we are assessed with different standards because of our origins. That is exactly why we invest more in data security, says Lyons and continues:
– We already have extensive security measures in place, but to answer the concerns we are investing a lot of time and resources in project Clover.
The project is an investment of NOK 140 billion over the next ten years. In Europe, three data centers are being built in Norway and Ireland, which will ensure that all data for European users is stored in the continent.
– It is a massive investment, says Tiktok Norway’s CEO Kjartan Sverdrup.
– With these measures, we believe that we are a completely safe platform to use, safer than many others.
Got a tattoo with my girlfriend
“A myth”
The company itself describes the claim that they are Chinese-owned as a myth.
– There is a lot of confusion. Tiktok is not a Chinese company. Tiktok has headquarters in Singapore and Los Angeles, and its European headquarters are in Ireland. So we are covered by all the regulations that apply in those countries, says Lyons.
– The parent company ByteDance is registered outside China. It is 60 percent owned by international investors. It is 20 percent of employees worldwide, and it is 20 percent owned by the Chinese founders, he continues.
– Are you sure that you are not covered by the Chinese Security Act, which states that companies must hand over information when the authorities request it?
– If we are talking about Tiktok then definitely, because we do not operate in China. There are many companies that have Chinese investors, says Lyons.
