"There will almost always be ways around this," Schmidt said. "It would just be a lot more difficult for the average person to do it without getting an advanced degree in computer security or something."
TikTok has sought to reassure the U.S. government that U.S. user data is stored outside of China. The company has developed an elaborate plan known as Project Texas that includes the vetting of its code in the U.S. and a separate board of directors for a domestic subsidiary, with members reviewed by the U.S. government.The Wall Street JournalBut the mood in Washington isn't moving in TikTok's favor, and legislators have lost whatever trust they once may have had in China and its motives.
While many users may think their casual social media use would be of little interest to a foreign government, Schmidt said that data can have a surprising amount of value to bad actors.
So much for freedom of speech.