Popular short-form video hosting service TikTok is updating its privacy policy to inform its European users that their data can be accessed by employees outside the continent. The privacy policy of TikTok concerning data accessibility will go live on December 2 and applies to users in the UK, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

The countries from where European user data could be accessed by TikTok staff include China, Brazil, Canada, and Israel as well as US and Singapore, where the company currently stores European user data.

TikTok’s head of privacy in Europe, Elaine Fox, said in a statement that certain employees within the company's corporate group will be allowed to access the data because of a “demonstrated need to do their job”. Fox asserted that the data accessibility will be subjected to a “series of robust security controls and approval protocols” and in line with methods recognised under the European Union’s general data protection regulation.

“Based on a demonstrated need to do their job, subject to a series of robust security controls and approval protocols, and by way of methods that are recognised under the GDPR, we allow certain employees within our corporate group located in Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States, remote access to TikTok European user data,” Fox said.

The privacy policy update also provides information about different ways that European user location information may be collected, the TikTok executive added.

“For example, when users create a video, they can choose to manually add a location to their video such as tourist attractions or other points of interest. Alternatively, they can choose to turn on Location Services for TikTok within their device settings to allow TikTok to collect location information from the device,” the release said, adding that TikTok does not collect precise location information from users in Europe.

The changes are taking place against the backdrop of political and regulatory pressure over the use of data generated by the Chinese-owned app. TikTok has been under scanner over concerns that Chinese actors might tap those users’ information for espionage or other harmful purposes.

Image courtesy: AP