The access is granted “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 [the EU’s general data protection regulation],” according to Elaine Fox, TikTok’s head of privacy in Europe, said in a statement yesterday (Nov. 2).Access to user data from China remains controversial as regulators worry TikTok and its parent firm Bytedance might pass on the information to the Chinese government.Charted: TikTok staff with access to European user dataBy the digits: TikTok is huge1 billion: active users worldwide136.5 million: TikTok users in US, its biggest market67%: Share of American teens who use the app daily99 minutes: average time US kids and teens spend on Tiktok daily$6.3 billion: consumer spend in-app spending since its launch in 2017, according to analytics company Sensor TowerThe world is worried about what TikTok is doing with user data🇺🇸 US: On Tuesday (Nov. 1), one of five commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, told Axios that he doesn’t believe “there is a path forward for anything other than a ban.” Several officials, including former president Donald Trump, have time and again echoed this sentiment.If individuals want to take the risk of exposing their data to the CCP, that should be their choice.What we do know is that the “national security” excuse gets thrown around an awful lot, and it’s a convenient way to pacify the masses who might otherwise protest the ever-increasing violation of their liberties.” —Patrick Carroll, Editorial Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education."