TikTok CEO denies seeing US user data provided to Chinese government

TikTokCEO Shou Zi Chew told Congress on Thursday that he had no reason to believe that the app had provided U.S. user data to Chinese officials, a subject of considerable controversy factoring into the push in Washington to restrict or ban the social media platform.

Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee that there is” no indication that the Chinese government has access” to U.S. consumer information.

Follow LIVE: TIKTOK CEO TESTIFIES AS Politicians CONSIDER NATIONAL BAN BEFORE CONGRESS

Chew’s comments were met with skepticism. Rep. Anna Eshoo( D-CA ) said,” I find that actually absurd.”

Sen. Marco Rubio( R-FL ) has written a bill to outright ban the app. Members of Congress have put forth several bills to limit TikTok. As opposed to that, Sens. Legislation has been introduced by Mark Warner( D-VA ) and John Thune( R-SD ) to give the Commerce Department additional authority to assess and assess whether foreign business deals pose security risks.

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In the previous years, TikTok increased its lobbying efforts in Washington. According to OpenSecrets, a democratic website that monitors social spending, the social media industry spent the fourth-highest quantity on expenses expenses from any internet company.