TikTok Assures U.S. Lawmakers it's Working to Safeguard User Data From Chinese Staff

The company told lawmakers in a congressional hearing on Wednesday that it has reached agreements with several Chinese internet companies regarding how to use the social media app in the U.S.

TikTok told House lawmakers that it has agreed to "provide certain non-identifiable personal information about users, including facial images, and the IP addresses used to access the TikTok app in connection with certain authorized uses.

The American company said it has reached other agreements with Chinese providers "that are not currently publicly available.

The company said none of its arrangements with Chinese companies have resulted in any "unidentified third party" gathering users' personal information.

The TikTok app is among the most popular on smartphone marketplaces in the world. The Chinese version of the app is among the top five most-used in the country.

TikTok said that "some features of the TikTok mobile app... may require users to be registered with a TikTok business account.

The company said that "all users who elect to participate in some of these limited, authorized features through a TikTok business account will be required to also register with TikTok and may be subject to other limitations or restrictions.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to offer any comment, while Google, Facebook and Twitter each responded with comments.

Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a pair of tweets Wednesday, telling his 3.6 million Twitter followers that he was "not surprised by TikTok's statement today," after the company issued an official response to an earlier congressional inquiry.

In a statement reported by TechCrunch, Mark Gannes, Apple's head of product initiatives, said that "We share TikTok's commitment to protecting the data and privacy of our users.

Gannes also said that "we have been working with TikTok on this issue and have reached agreements with the company that protect user data and rights," without providing details.

Earlier in the day, TikTok urged lawmakers to back its efforts to make "TikTok safe for everyone.

In a tweet, the company wrote: "We hope Congress will agree that TikTok is safe and secure, and that we can continue to grow our business with them.

We hope Congress will agree that TikTok is safe and secure, and that we can continue to grow our business with them.

The company also told lawmakers that its relationship with Chinese companies is not affected by the National Security Council classification of the app, which makes clear that the U.S. government does not classify the app as "non-critical.

"For the past three years, TikTok has been completely separate from government policies, including their censorship policy, and we have never been subject to such strict limitations before," TikTok told the hearing. "However, because of ongoing concerns, we have made an unprecedented decision to provide certain non-identifiable personal information about users, including facial images, and the IP addresses used to access the TikTok app in connection with certain authorized uses.

TikTok has a dedicated team that handles the company's U.S. compliance, the company said.