TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before a bipartisan special committee in the U.S. Congress. The Guardian reports.
The questioning lasted more than five hours. It was punctuated by contentious questions about the app’s relationship with China and child protection.
Chew’s appearance before Congress coincided with lawmakers’ push to ban TikTok in the United States. The company is owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance, raising concerns about Beijing’s influence over the app.
Throughout the hearing, Chew sought to push back against criticism and questions about ties to CPC.
“Let me be clear: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” he said in prepared remarks.
Chew defended TikTok’s privacy policy, saying it aligns with the practices of other social networks. He also asserts that the app collects less data than its rivals.
“More than 150 million Americans love our platform, and we know we are responsible for safeguarding them,” Chew said.
Here are some of the other key questions the TikTok chief faced at the hearing.
TikTok’s Ties to China
Many committee members focused on ByteDance and its executives. Lawmakers said they are linked to the CPC.
Committee members asked how often Chew communicates with ByteDance’s leadership. They also asked whether the company’s proposed solution Project Texas would provide adequate protection from Chinese laws mandating disclosure of user data to the government.
At one point, Congressman Tony Cárdenas asked Chew directly whether TikTok is a Chinese company. He replied that the service is global in nature, not available on the mainland in China, and that its headquarters are in Singapore and Los Angeles.
Congressman Neal Dunn also directly asked, “Did ByteDance spy on American citizens?”
“Spying is the wrong characterization,” Chew replied.
Chew Owns ByteDance Shares
During the hearing, Chew sought to distance TikTok from ByteDance. Legally, however, the platform remains owned by ByteDance.
He tried to dodge questions about whether he owns ByteDance shares. Under pressure from lawmakers, the TikTok chief answered in the affirmative, but sought to downplay the link.
Concerns over the Viability of Project Texas
To allay concerns about Chinese influence, TikTok pledged to move all American users’ data to servers in the United States under Project Texas. Under the plan, Oracle would be allowed to inspect the TikTok source code and act as a third party.
The company pledged to complete the work by year-end. Yet some lawmakers questioned whether it would be possible to review “hundreds of millions” of lines of source code in such a relatively short timeframe.
“I am concerned that what you are proposing under Project Texas simply does not have the technical capability to provide us with the guarantees we need,” said Representative Jay Obernolte, who has a background in programming.
Chew acknowledged that ByteDance’s Chinese employees have access to Americans’ data.
“We rely on global interoperability; Chinese engineers have access to the data,” he said.
Safety of Youth and Mental Health
Another focus was the safety of young TikTok users. According to Pew Research Center, 67% of people aged 13 to 17 are signed up for the service. 16% of respondents in that group said they use it “almost constantly”.
Lawmakers cited reports that drug-related content circulates on the app. They say it allows teenagers to “easily buy dangerous substances online.”
Chew replied that such content violates TikTok’s policy and is removed when detected.
“We take this very seriously […]. This is a problem for the entire industry, and we are putting in as much as we can. We do not think most TikTok users see it, but it happens,” he said.
Other members cited materials on self-harm and eating disorders that spread on the platform. TikTok had previously faced lawsuits over “deadly challenges” that went viral on the app.
“We need you to play your part […]. This could save this generation,” said Congresswoman Kim Schrier.
When asked whether his children use TikTok, Chew said no. He said his young daughter lives in Singapore, where, under local law, children under 13 are prohibited from joining social networks.
Uncertainty Over a Possible Ban
As reported, in March 2023 the U.S. House introduced a bill giving the president the power to ban TikTok on American soil.
In 2019, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that TikTok sell the company. Otherwise, the app could be banned in the country.
Those attempts were not successful, however TikTok nonetheless entered into a partnership with Oracle to conduct an independent audit.
The service now faces a renewed threat of a ban. In Congress two bills were introduced giving the federal government the power to ban the app on U.S. soil. The White House backed the measures and urged lawmakers to move quickly.
At the same time the Chinese government condemned U.S. actions. Hours before the congressional hearings, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce Shu Jueting expressed Beijing’s disagreement with the Biden administration’s proposal.
“Forcing the sale of TikTok will seriously undermine investor confidence worldwide, including in China, in investing in the United States,” she said.
Shu added that if the reports prove true, China would “oppose them”.
As reported, in March 2023 the U.S. House introduced a bill giving the president the power to ban TikTok on American soil.
A similar initiative followed days later from a bipartisan group of American senators.