TikTok CEO Fails to Convince Congress That the App is Not a “Weapon” for China.

Author: Ashley Belanger Published: March 23, 2023

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In a House Committee on Energy & Commerce hearing, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced scrutiny over the platform's safety risks, data privacy concerns, and national security threats to American users. Despite defending TikTok’s Project Texas as a more appropriate solution for these issues than forcing a sale or banning TikTok in the US, Chew failed to convince Congress that the app is not a "weapon" for China. Congress members like Cathy McMorris Rodgers suggested that "TikTok surveils us all, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can use this to manipulate America as a whole." The committee proposed passing a data privacy bill is "the only way to stop TikTok." Chew also refused to comment on a whistleblower report that confirmed ByteDance has access to user data that could be used to track and spy on Americans. Congress members called on TikTok to disclose its data sales, revenue, tech resources, and other ByteDance-owned companies. The hearing concluded that comprehensive data privacy legislation is the better solution to prevent platforms like TikTok from gathering sensitive user data rather than banning the app.