TikTok’s chief govt has sought to reassure US Congress that the Chinese-owned video app shouldn’t be “an agent” of Beijing and poses no threat to nationwide safety.
Shou Zi Chew confronted hours of robust questioning by deputies within the House of Representatives satisfied that the favored app is a “tool” of the Chinese Communist Party.
Some have additionally raised considerations that TikTok, which has 150 million American customers, carries content material that may hurt youngsters’s psychological well being.
The deputies on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce pressed Mr Chew on numerous matters – starting from TikTok’s content material moderation practices to the corporate’s spying on journalists.
Watch dwell: TikTok chief govt questioned by US Congress
“Mr Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security,” mentioned the committee’s chair, Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
“TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation.”
Mr Chew insisted its dad or mum firm ByteDance prioritises the security of its younger customers – and denied claims that the app is a nationwide safety threat.
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“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” he mentioned.
He reiterated the corporate’s plan to guard US consumer information by storing data on servers maintained and owned by server large Oracle.
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Many deputies on the committee discovered a few of Mr Chew’s solutions evasive – with certainly one of them, Tony Cardenas, saying the chief govt was a “good dancer with words”.
Increasing strain and bans
TikTok has been beneath rising scrutiny over its safety and information privateness, with considerations it might be used to advertise pro-Beijing views or collect consumer information – one thing TikTok strongly denies.
In the UK, the app will likely be blocked from parliament’s units and community.
The EU Commission and greater than half of US states and Congress have already launched a ban on employees telephones over considerations round potential cyber assaults, with the UK authorities following swimsuit final week.
China mentioned it could oppose any US makes an attempt to power ByteDance to promote the app.
Source: information.sky.com”