TikTok’s global security chief to step down — internal memo

TikTok’s global chief security officer Roland Cloutier, who oversees cyber security, is stepping down from his role but will stay at the company, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

“With our recent announcement about data management changes in the U.S., it’s time for me to transition from my role as Global Chief Security Officer into a strategic advisory role focusing on the business impact of security and trust programs, working directly with (CEO) Shou, (ByteDance VP of Technology) Dingkun and other senior leaders,” Cloutier wrote in the memo.

TikTok, the video-sharing app owned by China’s ByteDance, hired Cloutier from payroll processing company ADP in 2020, amid increasing scrutiny from U.S. regulators on the company’s handling of personal data.

Kim Albarella, a senior member of TikTok’s security team, will serve as interim head of Global Security. Albarella previously worked for ADP for more than a decade.