CEO testimony fans flames of anti-TikTok sentiment in Congress

Members of Congress appeared unconvinced by TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s efforts in the House of Representatives to allay their fears about the popular social media platform’s security and privacy risks.

Chew had to answer challenging questions about the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, its connection to China, the to danger to adolescent mental health, and data protection in the Energy and Commerce Committee for several years on Thursday. Chew pretended to be calm and reasonable, but by the side of the day, he had to deal with criticism from lawmakers and more overt challenges to limit TikTok’s use in the US.

Rep. Debbie Lesko( R-AZ ), a committee member, told the Washington Examiner,” I was horrified by the TikTok CEO’s response to my questions in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.”

Chew dodged Lesko’s question about his thoughts on the Chinese persecution of the Uyghur men. Lesko claimed that TikTok and he are being influenced by the Chinese government because of his repeated unwillingness to respond to this question.

TIKTOK CEO FINDS NO Supporters DURING HOUSE TESTIMONY IN CONGRESS.

The proponents of a prominent anti-TikTok act claimed that Chew’s testimony strengthened their resolve. Sens.” Nothing we heard from Mr. Chew today assuaged ] our concerns.” John Thune( R – SD ) and Mark Warner( D – VA ) stated in a press release. ” It is essential for Congress to set up a procedure to assess and lessen the risks posed by strange technology solutions that originate in nations like China and Russia.”

The RESTRICT Act, a bill drafted by Warner and Thune to grant the Commerce Department more authority to assess and decide whether entangling international business investment posed an immediate threat to national security, is sponsored by both companies. On both sides of the aisle, the act has a number of co-sponsors. The RESTRICT Act is one of many taxes that have been introduced to curb or outlaw TikTok.

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Sen. Thom Tillis( R – NC ) stated in a statement that it is” beyond reckless for members of Congress to continue encouraging their constituents to use TikTok despite knowing that the Chinese Communist Party is mining all of their personal information.” ” Getting attitudes is more important than protecting Americans from the CCP.” I urge every member of Congress to quit using it and set a good example.

Democratic politicians have continued to oppose TikTok, despite the fact that” Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman has come out as a vocal proponent of the game.

In order to avoid a regional restrictions, the White House is pressuring ByteDance to sell its stock in the business. Due to the requirement that it be approved by CCP leaders, the Chinese government may slow down such a purchase.