US lawmakers on Thursday spent more than five hours questioning TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about the app’s ties to China and its US user data protection initiatives, among other issues.
It appeared lawmakers had already made up their minds about the social media app before the CEO’s testimony even started, with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce chair Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers kicking off the hearing by telling Chew: “Your platform should be banned.”
Some lawmakers have called for TikTok to be banned in the US over perceived national security concerns about its ties to China through its Shanghai-based parent company ByteDance.
Chew’s assurances that TikTok does not operate on behalf of China appeared to fall on deaf ears, with several committee members interrupting his testimony to say they did not believe him.
The TikTok chief also stressed that the app’s data collection practices were no different than those of US tech giants.
“We are committed to being very transparent with our users about what we collect,” Chew said. “I don’t believe what we collect is more than most players in the industry.”
When asked if TikTok would divest from its parent company ByteDance, Chew responded: "I don’t think ownership is the problem.”
He continued: “With a lot of respect, American social companies don't have a good track record with data privacy and user security. I mean, look at Facebook and Cambridge Analytica."
Chew was also questioned over drug accessibility on the platform, the app’s impact on young users’ mental health, and its policies around misinformation and content moderation.
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