The CEO of TikTokShou Zi Chew, warned US congressmen on Thursday that imposing a veto on that platform in the country would be detrimental to the economy and freedom of expression.
“It is an app where people can be creative. There are nearly 5 million US businesses, mostly small, that use it to find customers and fuel their growth.”, he said before the Energy and Commerce committee of the Lower House, where he recalled that in the US there are around 150 million users.
Chew had met bilaterally with some lawmakers this year to emphasize that the company offers privacy and security guarantees, but this was his first official appearance on Capitol Hill.
They analyze banning the app
The US Congress began a hearing Thursday with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew amid fears in Washington that the company has ties to the Chinese government and affects national security.
“TikTok has repeatedly chosen the path of more control, more surveillance, and more manipulation. Your platform should be banned”Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the House Committee on Commerce and Energy, said as the hearing began.
Shou Zi Chew, a 40-year-old Singaporean, appeared before the committee at 2:00 p.m. GMT for hours of questioning by Republicans and Democrats, who fear Beijing would subvert the app for spying or propaganda purposes.
Owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok is under enormous pressure in Western countries: Government officials in the US, UK and Canada, as well as the European Commission, were forced to remove the app from their devices.
The British broadcaster BBC advised its staff on Tuesday to remove TikTok from their phones.
The most serious threat comes from the United States, whose government has issued an ultimatum for TikTok to be removed from Chinese ownership or face an outright ban in the country.
A ban would be an unprecedented move against a media company by Washington, as it would deprive 150 million monthly users in the country of an app that has become a cultural powerhouse, especially for young people, and the main source of entertainment after Netflix.
“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent for China or any other country.”, Chew will say before the House committee, according to prepared comments published before the hearing.
“TikTok has never shared or received a request to share US user data with the Chinese government. TikTok would also not honor such a request if it ever occurred.”, he will add.
Still, the cards in Washington appeared to be stacked against Chew, with legislation — and even a White House-backed bill — paving the way for a ban on the app.
“Stop suppressing”
In his final months in office, Donald Trump also sought to have the app banned, but a judge blocked the attempt.
During that battle, a possible sale of TikTok to Microsoft or Oracle was promoted, which never came to fruition due to opposition from China.
Beijing announced on Thursday that “will strongly oppose” to a forced sale, stressing that any sale or spin-off of TikTok would require approval from Chinese authorities.
“Forcing the sale of TikTok (…) will seriously undermine the confidence of investors from several countries, including China, to invest in the United Statesadded Shu Jueting, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
A sale of the application, even with the agreement of all parties, would be very complicated, since separating the powerful algorithm of “TikTok and ByteDance would be like a conjoined twin operationWedbush analyst Dan Ives told AFP.
Beijing last week urged “stop unjustifiably repressing” to TikTok alleging that the United States lacked evidence that the application poses a threat to its national security.
In a TikTok post earlier this week, Chew called on US users to stand up for their favorite app by sharing “what they love” about it with lawmakers.
On Wednesday, a dozen teenagers, teachers and business owners addressed Congress to voice their opposition to a ban on the app and highlighted the benefits of TikTok to their lives and livelihoods.
“Are there other platforms? Absolutely, I’m in them, but none have the reach of TikTok”soap entrepreneur @countrylather2020 told her 70,000 followers in a video recorded just after arriving in Washington.
Chew will promote a company plan, known as Project Texas, to meet national security concerns, under which the handling of user data on US soil would be limited to a US-run division.
He will tell lawmakers that TikTok has already spent $1.5 billion on the project and hired 1,500 US employees to launch it.
Source: Gestion
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