TikTok CEO Fails to Guarantee China Doesn’t Spy on Users

VIVA – In the United States Congress, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew failed to guarantee that China doesn’t interfere with the app or that its software can be used to spy on users.

The CEO was portrayed as evasive by a hostile committee following fears the Chinese-owned video platform should be barred because of security concerns and because it carries content that can harm children’s mental health.

He told Republican representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers he could not “100 percent guarantee” that Beijing was not influencing parts of the app.

Congress also asked if Mr. Chew could say with certainty that the app could not be used to spy on journalists or other US citizens. He declined to give that same commitment.

He also said during the opening speech that allowing the app to be used by young Americans was like allowing the Soviet Union to produce Saturday morning cartoons during the Cold War.

Then, TikTok CEO also agreed that government staff smartphones should not be loaded with social media apps. This is in response to the increasingly widespread ban on apps for national security reasons.

"Honestly, I think government devices shouldn't have social media apps, not just targeted at us," he told Rep. John Joyce, of Pennsylvania during his testimony before Congress.

Then, there were many questions that Chew failed to answer, promising instead to follow up. Committee members were given 10 business days to submit written questions to TikTok. Outstanding questions covered everything from how (and to whom) TikTok sells user data, to how much TikTok revenue ByteDance retains, and how many tech resources are shared between TikTok and other ByteDance-owned companies.

Currently, TikTok is facing a complete ban in the United States due to concerns that China is using the app as a covert tool to spy and spread propaganda.

Chew testified before Congress, where members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee raised concerns about how much access the Chinese government has to user data, as well as how much influence the Chinese Communist Party has over that data.

This app has consistently denied the allegations, although this has not stopped the US and other countries from banning the app from government and military-issued devices.

Some countries like India have even issued nationwide bans on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps as a result of national security concerns.

With over 150 million TikTok users in the US, many will be following this testimony process closely to see if Joe Biden's administration will follow India's lead by banning TikTok completely.