The decision is part of a broader push by TikTok to assure US lawmakers that it is not influenced by Chinese authorities.
Oracle is reviewing TikTok’s algorithms and content moderation models to ensure Chinese authorities aren’t manipulating them.
An unnamed source told Axios that these reviews began last week, since all of TikTok’s US traffic is being routed to Oracle’s infrastructure.
Oracle vetting TikTok’s systems appears to be part of a larger effort by the Chinese company to assure US lawmakers that it is not influenced by the Chinese Communist Party.
TikTok made the announcement of routing its US data in June, amid renewed pressure from the US government about the company’s potential links with Chinese authorities. On the same day, Buzzfeed News claimed that the data of US users had been accessed by employees in China.
TikTok’s announcement in June also referenced data management protocols that Oracle would audit and manage “to give users even more peace of mind”.
“We know we are among the most scrutinised platforms from a security standpoint, and we aim to remove any doubt about the security of US user data,” TikTok said in June.
The Buzzfeed article prompted US senators to send a letter questioning TikTok’s data management policies.
In response, TikTok said it is working on a new programme called “Project Texas”, to help build trust with users and known stakeholders. A letter by TikTok said that 100pc of US traffic is routed to Oracle’s infrastructure, but said its own US and Singapore data centres are being used for backup.
In 2020, former US president Donald Trump issued an executive order which stated that TikTok would be banned in the US unless sold by its Chinese parent company.
This was the beginning of TikTok’s partnership with Oracle, which was chosen by the video-sharing platform for 40-year track record in providing “secure technology solutions”. TikTok submitted a proposal to the US Treasury in 2020 naming Oracle as a “trusted technology provider”.
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