TikTok CEO promises Congress a firewall against CCP access

TikTok’s CEO has promised Congress that the company would maintain a wall between US user data and the Chinese Communist Party in an effort to prevent a ban on the app by legislators who have become more skeptical.

CEO Shou Zi Chew stated in a draft of his testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the company would ensure foreign entities like China could not access US user data and maintain a digital barrier to protect user privacy and security.

Chew is scheduled to appear before the panel to answer questions over the app’s privacy practices, relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, and how it ensures child safety online.

In his prepared remarks, Chew stated “TikTok will remain a platform for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government. There are more than 150 million Americans who love our platform, and we know we have a responsibility to protect them.”

Chew cited Project Texas, TikTok’s efforts to localize US user data by storing it in Oracle-owned servers moderated by local staff and kept out of reach of Chinese employees, to defend TikTok. Chew said $1.5 billion has already been put into the ongoing discussions with the government surrounding Project Texas.

Members of Congress have proposed measures to restrict TikTok in the US, such as a bill to ban the app entirely by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and legislation by Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) to provide extra powers to the Commerce Department regarding analyzing foreign business deals if they pose security risks.

TikTok has responded by increasing lobbying efforts. It is now the fourth-highest internet company when it comes to federal lobbying expenses, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan platform tracking political spending.