In his first appearance before Congress on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Chew faced a barrage of questions from lawmakers who expressed deep scepticism about the company's attempts to protect US user data and ease concerns about its ties to China. Chew sought to reassure the congressional panel that his company is committed to transparency and protecting the privacy of its American users, but many remained unconvinced.
During the hearing, Chew emphasised that TikTok has taken significant steps to distance itself from its parent company, ByteDance, which is based in China. He pointed out that TikTok's data centres for US users are located in the United States and Singapore, and that the company has implemented strict access controls to prevent unauthorised access to user data.
Lawmakers, however, were not easily swayed by Chew's assurances. Several members of Congress questioned the CEO about the potential for the Chinese government to access TikTok user data, citing concerns about the country's history of intellectual property theft, espionage, and censorship. Chew reiterated that TikTok has implemented stringent measures to safeguard user data and that the company has never received a request from the Chinese government to access US user data.
Despite these assurances, lawmakers pressed Chew to provide more concrete evidence of TikTok's independence from China. Some called for the company to undergo a thorough security audit by a third-party organisation to validate its data protection measures and verify its claims of independence.
In addition to data privacy concerns, members of Congress raised questions about TikTok's content moderation practices. Several lawmakers pointed out instances where the platform appeared to suppress content related to human rights abuses in China, such as the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Chew acknowledged these concerns and explained that TikTok is continually working to improve its content moderation policies and practices, including increased transparency and collaboration with external organizations.
Washington has already made up its mind about TikTok
The hearing, which lasted for more than five hours, kicked off with calls from a lawmaker to ban the app in the United States and remained combative throughout. It offered a vivid display of the bipartisan push to crack down on the popular short-form video app and the company’s uphill battle to improve relations with Washington.
Washington Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, opened Thursday’s hearing by telling Shou: “Your platform should be banned.”
“To the American people watching today, hear this: TikTok is a weapon by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on you, manipulate what you see and exploit for future generations,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.
In an exchange with California Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo, Chew talked up TikTok’s ongoing efforts to protect US user data and said he has “seen no evidence that the Chinese government has access to that data; they have never asked us, we have not provided it.”
In closing, Chew emphasised that TikTok is committed to earning the trust of its American users and will continue to take steps to address the concerns raised by lawmakers. He pledged that the company would remain transparent about its data protection practices and work tirelessly to maintain the safety and privacy of its users.
While the CEO's testimony may not have entirely dispelled the scepticism surrounding TikTok's ties to China, it marked a significant step in the company's ongoing efforts to engage with US authorities and address concerns about its data privacy practices. Whether these efforts will be enough to satisfy lawmakers and regulators remains to be seen, but the hearing highlighted the challenges that the popular social media platform faces in navigating the complex geopolitical landscape.
