As TikTok grapples with the threat of a US ban, the face leading its defense is former San Francisco District Attorney Suzy Loftus, now the company's head of safety. Amid intense scrutiny from lawmakers over data security, Loftus is applying her prosecutorial tenacity to ensure the social media platform's compliance and protection against disinformation, especially with the US elections on the horizon.

TikTok's situation escalated recently when President Joe Biden signed a bill that could potentially lead to the app being banned in the US unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its American operations. The tech world and analysts brace for a complex and legal-laden journey ahead, with tech experts suggesting the separation process will be anything but smooth. "It’s going to be a royal mess," Anupam Chander, a visiting scholar at the Institute for Rebooting Social Media at Harvard, told SFist.

Amid these challenges, Loftus, who took on the safety role at TikTok in 2021, remains resolute. She draws parallels between safeguarding an app and protecting a city, stating her commitment firmly. "I love my job. And I love fighting for this platform," Loftus told SF Chronicle. "It’s something that brings so much joy and it’s worth fighting for. It’s like, you know, I love San Francisco, and I’m happy to fight for her and defend her and build safety there, and I love TikTok, and I’m kind of doing the same thing here."

TikTok has rolled out various measures to alleviate fears in response to the growing pressures, including partnering with Oracle to store and check US user data. With a clear focus on user safety and misinformation, Loftus brings her varied experience to bear. Having spearheaded safety efforts during her tenure across San Francisco's law enforcement and legal sectors, her attention is now on the platform's data integrity and election readiness. According to Loftus in a statement obtained by SF Chronicle, "We see the chance that there’s coordinated inauthentic behavior that’s happening. I’m really focused on making sure that what we do is the best in our industry and making sure that the platform is safe."