TikTok’s head of security resigns amid heated US user data controversy

Roland Cloutier is stepping down as security director for TikTok World. Change of leadership, on which they worked for several months.

TikTok World’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) has decided to step down and take on the role of a strategic advisor to the company. This change in Roland Cloutier’s stance stems from concerns about how the company handles user data in the US. TikTok recently acknowledged that employees outside the country may have access to this information, although the US security service uses “strong cybersecurity and permission controls.”

Roland Cloutier steps down as TikTok Global Security Director

Roland Cloutier will therefore be an advisor on business impact on TikTok’s security and trust programs. Kim Albarella, Head of Security Risk, Supplier and Customer Assurance, will take on this role on an interim basis.

“Part of our evolving approach is to reduce concerns about the security of user data located in the United States, including the creation of a new department to manage US TikTok user data,” Shaw CEO Zi Chu wrote in a memo. his employees. “This is a significant investment in our data protection practices as well as a change in the scope of the CSO role. With this in mind, Roland has decided to step down from his role in day-to-day operations as of September 2.”

Leadership change that has been in the works for months

A TikTok spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that Roland Cloutier is not overseeing the new team that handles user data in the US. This department reports directly to Shou Zi Chu. Roland Cloutier’s departure has nothing to do with U.S. regulators’ concerns about their users’ data, and the change has been in the works for months.

BuzzFeed News reported last month that between September and January, Chinese engineers at parent company ByteDance had several accesses to sensitive user data in the US. TikTok says it now stores all personal data of US users on US-based Oracle servers and is working to remove personal data from its own servers. In a letter sent to Republican senators a few days ago, Show Zi Chu wrote that the company is actively working to eliminate “any doubt about the security of user data in the US.”