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