TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew denied allegations that the app had been used to spy on Americans at the request of the Chinese government during a congressional hearing. However, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed concern over Chew’s testimony, stating on Twitter that “China has access to TikTok user data.” Despite former U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to ban TikTok and WeChat, another Chinese-owned app owned by Tencent, these efforts were unsuccessful in 2020. TikTok has spent over $1.5 billion on data security efforts under the name “Project Texas” and is currently contracted with Oracle Corp to store TikTok’s U.S. user data. Nonetheless, the growing concerns over the app’s ties to the Chinese government may result in further legislation or action against TikTok in the future.
US Lawmakers to Move Forward with TikTok Bill, says House Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced that lawmakers will move forward with legislation to address national security concerns regarding TikTok. McCarthy alleged that the China-based company ByteDance had access to the short video app’s user data, which has led to growing calls to ban TikTok or pass bipartisan legislation to give President Joe Biden’s administration legal authority to seek a ban.
Devices owned by the U.S. government were recently banned from having the app installed, and the House will be moving forward with legislation to protect Americans from what McCarthy described as “the technological tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party.”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before a U.S. House Committee for five hours on Thursday, where lawmakers from both parties questioned him about national security and other concerns involving the app. TikTok has around 150 million American users, which has heightened the national security concerns surrounding the app.
The concerns regarding TikTok are part of a larger conversation regarding China’s access to American data and technology, as well as the potential for espionage and cyberattacks. The legislation that the House plans to move forward with would address these concerns and give the Biden administration legal authority to ban TikTok if necessary.
TikTok CEO Denies Spying Allegations During Congressional Hearing
During a congressional hearing on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew denied allegations that the app had been used to spy on Americans at the request of the Chinese government. Republican Representative Neal Dunn asked Chew whether ByteDance was spying, to which Chew responded that “spying” was not the right way to describe the situation. The company had previously disclosed that some China-based employees at ByteDance had improperly accessed TikTok user data of two journalists, but Chew described the reports as involving an “internal investigation” before being cut off.
However, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy has expressed concern over Chew’s testimony, stating on Twitter that “China has access to TikTok user data.” The concerns over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government are part of a larger conversation regarding China’s access to American data and technology.
Despite these concerns, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to ban TikTok and WeChat, another Chinese-owned app owned by Tencent, were unsuccessful in 2020. However, Chew’s appearance before Congress has increased the likelihood that Congress will take action, according to Representative Mike Gallagher.
TikTok has spent over $1.5 billion on data security efforts under the name “Project Texas” and is currently contracted with Oracle Corp to store TikTok’s U.S. user data. The company claims that it has addressed lawmakers’ concerns, but the growing concerns over the app’s ties to the Chinese government may result in further legislation or action against TikTok in the future.
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