Growing concerns over TikTok’s potential national security threat were highlighted during a five-hour hearing by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The lawmakers accused TikTok of having ties to the Chinese government and causing harmful effects on children and teenagers. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is Chinese, making the app a battleground in a technological cold war between the U.S. and China over tech leadership and national security. The adversarial tone of this hearing was a stark contrast to past congressional hearings involving social media company leaders. As three bills targeting TikTok make their way through Congress, it remains to be seen what actions will be taken to address the potential national security threat posed by the app.
Lawmakers’ Focus on National Security in TikTok Hearing
TikTok’s chief executive, Shou Chew, was held accountable and transparent during a five-hour hearing by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. Lawmakers accused the company of having ties to the Chinese government and causing harmful effects on children and teenagers. TikTok, with 150 million users in the United States, has become a symbol of the growing divide between the U.S. and China over tech leadership and national security.
The panel’s 29 Republicans and 23 Democrats united in grilling Mr. Chew on the company’s security and privacy risks and its ties to the Chinese government. This confrontational approach reflects the growing concern over the national security threat posed by TikTok. The adversarial tone of this hearing was a stark contrast to past congressional hearings involving social media company leaders.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is Chinese, making the app a battleground in a technological cold war between the two countries. The U.S. has threatened to ban TikTok, recalling how China has long blocked many American platforms. China has publicly rebuked the Biden administration’s stance against the app’s Chinese ownership, saying it would oppose efforts by the United States to force a sale of TikTok.
Mr. Chew made his first appearance before Congress, in what had become a rite of passage for technology executives. However, Mr. Chew stood apart from tech chiefs like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai. The lawmakers’ confrontational approach reflects the potential national security threat posed by TikTok.
Despite the lack of declassified evidence that TikTok currently poses a risk of handing data from users’ phones to the Chinese government, lawmakers and intelligence officials are concerned due to Beijing’s strict control of its economy and individual companies. The U.S. is actively pursuing three bills targeting TikTok, and President Biden’s options are limited as China has opposed the forced sale of TikTok.
In conclusion, the hearing highlights the potential national security threat posed by TikTok and the growing divide between the U.S. and China over tech leadership. The confrontational approach by lawmakers towards TikTok’s chief executive reflects their concern over security and privacy risks and ties to the Chinese government.
Growing Concerns Over National Security Threats Posed by TikTok
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s five-hour hearing on TikTok’s security and privacy risks and its ties to the Chinese government highlights the increasing concern over the national security threat posed by the app. TikTok, with 150 million users in the United States, has become a symbol of the growing divide between the U.S. and China over tech leadership and national security.
The adversarial tone of the hearing was a stark contrast to past congressional hearings involving social media company leaders. As three bills targeting TikTok make their way through Congress, it remains to be seen what actions will be taken to address the potential national security threat posed by the app.
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