‘I Don’t Buy It’: Lawmakers on Both Sides of the Aisle Scoff at TikTok CEO’s Vow to Protect U.S. Data from CCP
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With a U.S. regulatory crackdown looming, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. During the hearing, lawmakers from both parties expressed skepticism towards the CEO’s claims that the popular social-media app would protect U.S. data and American users from the Chinese Communist Party.
Regulators are concerned about Chinese laws which require companies based in the country, such as TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, to provide the CCP with access to user data and other proprietary information.
Earlier this week, TikTok was reportedly told by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., an inter-agency panel consisting of nine cabinet-level officials, to sell its stake in the social-media app or risk a ban in the U.S. The same concerns were channeled by lawmakers Thursday, who are considering their own ban of the platform if all CCP connections are not stripped.
The committee’s chairwoman, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R., Wa.), opened the hearing by probing Chew’s current ties to ByteDance officials, many of whom Chew is in regular contact with. “You state that ByteDance is not beholden to the CCP. Again, each of the individuals I listed are affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party,” explained Rodgers.
“Can you say with one hundred percent Certainty that Bytedance or the CCP cannot use your company, or its divisions, to make content to promote pro-CCP messages for an act of aggression against Taiwan?,” Rodgers asked, also expressing concern content about Tianamen Square or the plight of Uyghurs would be restricted.
“It is our commitment to this committee and all users that we will keep this free from any manipulation of any government,” Chew said, to which Rodgers retorted: “If you can’t say it’s 100% certain, I take that as a ‘no.'”
“The DOJ is investigating this surveillance right now,” Rodgers continued. “To the American people watching today, hear this, TikTok is a weapon by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on you, manipulate what you see…a ban is only a short term way to address TikTok, and a data privacy bill is the only way to stop TikTok from ever happening again in the United States.”
Hours before Chew testified, China said it strongly opposed ByteDance’s divestment from the social-media platform. China’s Commerce Ministry said that a sale or divestiture of TikTok would involve exporting technology and had to be approved by the Chinese government, the Wall Street Journal reported. Lawmakers did not fail to take notice during the hearing, with Rodgers reacting to the news by saying to Chew “the CCP believes they have the final say over your company.”
The committee’s ranking member, Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D., N.J.) spoke next, explaining that TikTok’s proposed solution to avoid both a ban and severing ties with ByteDance was not acceptable. Chew’s solution is a $1.5 billion plan nicknamed Project Texas, which would purportedly see the company essentially wall off U.S. operations, with all data being stored here. U.S. company Oracle would have the ability to access TikTok’s algorithms in order to flag issues for government inspectors.
“I still believe that the Beijing Communist government will still control and have the ability to influence what you do. So this idea, this Project Texas is simply not acceptable,” Pallone said.
Representative Tim Walberg (R., Mi.) zeroed in on the subject further, asking Chew: “Today, do ByteDance employees in Beijing have access to American data?”
“We rely on global interoperability, and we have employees in China, so yes, the Chinese engineers do have access to global data,” said Chew. “American data has always been stored in Virginia and Singapore in the past. And access of this is on an as-required basis by engineers globally for business purposes.”
After a few questions, Pallone noted his frustration with Chew and his attempt to portray TikTok as overwhelmingly concerned with transparency, free expression, and safety for users.
“Look, the impression you are giving, and I can understand why you are giving that impression, is that you are just performing some kind of public service here. Right? I mean this is a benign company that is just performing a public service. Maybe that’s not what you are saying, but I don’t buy it,” Pallone said.
Though there have been some defenders of TikTok in the Democratic caucus, most notably Representative Jamal Bowman (D., N.Y.), most joined Republicans and ranking member Pallone in criticizing Chew’s answers.
“A lot of your evasiveness today in answering many of these questions really disturbs me,” explained Representative Marc Veasey (D., Texas).
Lawmakers also raised concerned about the social effects of some of the content on TikTok, pointing to one girl’s death caused by a breath-holding challenge circulated on the app.
Any ban of TikTok could face legal challenges. Two federal judges struck down former president Trump’s attempts to do so. It would also be unpopular among young people and creators, who descended upon the Capitol in numbers to lobby lawmakers not to do away with their favorite app.
