TikTok to Open European Data Centers Amid Security Concerns

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Image copyright: Reuters [via The Straits Times]

The Facts

  • TikTok's general manager for operations in Europe, Rich Waterworth, said Friday that the company plans to open a second data center in Ireland via a third-party service provider as well as "a third data center in Europe to further complement our planned operations in Ireland."

  • The openings come as TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been trying to assure the EU that the short video-sharing app's user data cannot be accessed or manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

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The Spin

Narrative A

TikTok has had to work hard to meet European regulation standards, but it has not taken their demands lightly and is in the final stages of security measure implementation. With over 5K workers continent-wide, the platform is growing the EU economy while simultaneously prioritizing user privacy.

Irishtimes

Narrative B

TikTok should not just be regulated, but completely banned from countries that wish to protect their youth from the prying eyes of the PRC. At the very least, as the app's main demographic is 16 to 24-year-olds, parents should be blocking their children from using this dangerous and unnecessary platform. The safety and security of nations in the West are at stake here.

AL

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