Additionally, Project Texas would allow TikTok to continue to
rely on the engineers and back-end support in China to update its
algorithms and the source code needed to run the TikTok applica
tion in the U.S.21 But allowing code development in and access to
U.S. user data from China potentially exposes U.S. users to mali
cious code, backdoor vulnerabilities, surreptitious surveillance, and
other problematic activities tied to source code development. Fur
thermore, allowing back-end support, code development, and oper
ational activities to remain in China would also require TikTok to
continue to send U.S. user data to China to update the machine
learning algorithms and source code for the application, and to con
duct related back-end services, like managing users’ accounts.22