HONG KONG - Viral video platform TikTok's withdrawal from Hong Kong is a savvy commercial move that sidesteps thorny privacy issues but it will not shield the app completely from accusations of collusion with China, experts say.
However, TikTok's parent company ByteDance has a similar app for mainland China called Douyin that does share users' data with the Chinese government. " primarily concerned now with staying alive in the United States," said Zaagman, who writes for the Lowy Institute think-tank in Australia and presents the China Tech Investor podcast.
However, with its rising popularity in the United States, TikTok has also come under increasing scrutiny from the US government. India - where TikTok is also wildly popular - recently blocked the platform on national security grounds following a deadly border clash between its soldiers and Chinese forces."We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked," a spokesman said on Wednesday .