TikTok Chief Executive Shou Chew defended his firm in opposition to a barrage of criticism from hostile U.S. lawmakers, repeatedly asserting the app’s independence from its Chinese homeowners.
Chew mentioned its Beijing-based proprietor, ByteDance Ltd., is usually owned by worldwide traders and most of its board members are American.
“The bottom line is this is American data on American soil by an American company overseen by American personnel,” Chew mentioned in an look Thursday earlier than the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He couldn’t unequivocally say that no ByteDance staff have entry to that information, saying relatively that he’s “seen no evidence” of that occuring.
Chew confronted combative questioning from members of each events — who usually lower off his makes an attempt to reply — in his first look earlier than Congress. The listening to comes as lawmakers and the Biden administration are exploring how one can power ByteDance to promote its shares of the unit or face a ban within the U.S.
“You are here because the American people need to hear the truth about the threat TikTok poses to mental health and national security,” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the committee’s chair and a Washington Republican, mentioned. “Your platform should be banned. I expect today you’ll say anything to avoid this outcome.”
The listening to took a darkish flip when Florida Republican Michael Bilirakis performed a compilation of TikTok movies about suicide accompanied by ominous music.
Chew mentioned TikTok takes the psychological well being of its customers very critically and refers individuals asking about suicide or demise it to the platform’s security web page.
“We aren’t buying it,” McMorris Rodgers mentioned of TikTok’s arguments of why the service is secure.
Rodgers mentioned the app’s extensive reputation — utilized by 150 million Americans — is exactly why it poses such a risk.
Ohio Rep. Bob Latta requested Chew “yes or no,” do Chinese staff together with engineers have entry to U.S. consumer information. Chew’s response — “this is a complex subject” — drew incredulous chuckles within the room.
The centerpiece of Chew’s providing to quell issues about Chinese affect — a $1.5 billion funding in U.S.-based information safety measures — has already been rejected by U.S. authorities officers, who’re demanding that ByteDance promote its shares or face a U.S. ban, in response to individuals acquainted with a nationwide safety evaluation of the app.
Chew referred to as these studies “speculation” and mentioned “conversations with the government are ongoing,” and TikTok’s effort to isolate and defend U.S. consumer information “has continued unabated.”
Chew additionally in contrast the steps TikTok is taking — to guard each information safety and the protection of younger customers — to the practices of different huge tech firms, describing the measures TikTok takes to confirm the age of its customers and implement restrictions for youngsters and youths as industry-leading.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”