TikTok has released its first ever transparency report amid increasing scrutiny related to privacy and censorship, according to NBC News.
TikTok has been in the news a lot lately, and not in the way any company wants to be. The Department of Defense recently released guidance instructing personnel to delete the app, with both the Navy and Army following suit.
Its problems have also included a lawsuit alleging the app created an account and uploaded videos and face scans to servers in China. The plaintiff alleges that, while they downloaded the app, they had never set up an account.
In view of the concerns, “Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, sent a letter asking Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, to assess TikTok and other China-based companies for potential security risks.”
In an effort to address those concerns, TikTok has released its first transparency report detailing the worldwide government requests it received in the first half of 2019. India took the top spot, with the U.S. coming in second. The company has vowed to continue releasing transparency reports moving forward.
Notably, China is not listed in the report, although the company says it does not operate there and that data for American users is stored in the U.S.