House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers fired an attack on Shou Zi Chew’s TikTok at the start of the high-profile hearing, telling the CEO, “We don’t trust TikTok that it will ever embrace American values.”
“TikTok monitors us all and the Chinese Communist Party can use this as a tool,” said Rodgers, R-Wash.
“I assume today you will do whatever it takes to avoid that outcome, but you are 100% responsible for everything TikTok does,” she told Chew.
“The facts show that the byte dance is committed to the CCP,” Rodgers said.
Senior Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone, DN.J., backed Rodgers’ attacks.
“I agree with most of what you said,” he told her.
However, Pallone seemed less inclined to ditch the Chinese video-sharing app entirely. He said TikTok “threatens privacy and security…in its current form.”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will spend a grueling 4.5 hours being interviewed by a retailer who largely believes his app spreads propaganda and poses a risk to national security.
He began by denying any connection between TikTok and the Chinese government.
“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not a representative of China or any other country.”
Singapore-born Chew made four promises to the press as he entered the hearing room: “We will prioritize safety. Firewall for US data, protects against unwanted third-party access. Commitment to keep the app free. And fourth, committed to transparency.”
Pallone pressed Chew if he could commit to not selling dates. “I don’t think we sell data to data brokers,” Chew said.
When asked about a solid pledge, which the company wouldn’t and doesn’t do, Chew said, “I can get back to you with the specifics.”
At one point Rep. Richard Hudson, RN.C. asked the CEO how much money he was getting paid. “I prefer to keep my compensation private,” he said.
Rodgers pressed Chew over reports that TikTok was removing content at the request of the CCP.
House Energy and Commerce chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers fired an attack on Shou Zi Chew’s TikTok at the start of the high-profile hearing, telling the CEO, “We don’t trust TikTok to ever embrace American values.”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will spend a grueling 4.5 hours being interviewed by a retailer who largely believes his app poses a national security risk
“TikTok monitors us all and the Chinese Communist Party can use this as a tool,” said Rodgers, R-Wash
“Were moderation tools used to remove content on TikTok related to the Uyghur Genocide?” she asked.
“We do not remove this type of content. TikTok is a space for free speech,” Chew said.
She then asked him if TikTok was removing content related to the Tiananmen Square massacre. “That kind of content is on the platform,” Chew said.
“Let me remind you that making false or misleading statements to Congress is a federal crime,” Rodgers said.
“I see,” he said.
Pallone asked Chew to pledge not to collect location or health data, but he dodged the question.
“The problem here is that you’re trying to give the impression that you’re going to move away from Beijing, the Communist Party, but the promises that we would try to achieve those goals just haven’t been made,” Pallone said to Chew.
Rodgers not only called for a ban on TikTok, but also for a larger privacy law.
“TikTok is a weapon used by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on you, manipulate what you see and exploit for future generations,” she said.
“A ban is just a short-term way to tackle TikTok. And a privacy law is the only way out [a] TikTok will never happen again in the United States.’
“Let me be clear: ByteDance is not a representative of China or any other country,” Shou said
Critics from both parties have raised concerns that it poses a threat to national security and privacy since its parent company ByteDance is effectively controlled by the Chinese government.
The app has few defenders in Congress, despite 150 million Americans regularly using the platform.
Even President Biden has backed the bipartisan RESTRICT Act, which would allow his Commerce Department to ban foreign tech companies and encourage intelligence agencies to release intelligence related to surveillance.
A number of other bipartisan bills floating around could ban the app outright.
FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress late last year that it would allow the Chinese government “to control the data collection of millions of users or the recommendation algorithm that can be used for influencing.”
He has also warned that it could be used to hijack other software on the phone, which could potentially collect and send more data.
In December, Biden signed a bipartisan bill to ban the app on government devices. His government has threatened to ban the app if the company’s Chinese owners don’t sell their shares.