Sen. Tom Cotton's racist questioning is 'modern-day McCarthyism,' young columnist writes

In the digital age, social media has become the hottest ticket for young people. Statistics document the sheer momentum with which social media services have become the world’s greatest phenomenon. DataReportal reports over 4.8 billion “user identities” on the main platforms online and 150 million accounts created annually. This profile is testimony to the sheer power of social media on the branches of our technological civilization.

When the U.S. Senate conducted social media hearings on some of the most popular platforms recently, the world was able to scrutinize various security measures these companies have put into place. Full of action-packed accusations, the joint discussion was aimed at investigating various companies’ efforts to protect the well-being of their young users. Among those present were representatives/CEOs of mega brands such as Meta (Mark Zuckerberg), Discord (Jason Citron), Snap (Evan Spiegel), X (Linda Yaccarino) and TikTok (Shou Zi Chew).

Tempers flared throughout the proceedings, with strong-worded Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley demanding that Zuckerberg directly apologize to those in the courtroom who had been negatively affected by Meta. (He did.) Families harmed by social media proved to be a driving force throughout the 3.5-hour meeting, with emotional outbursts in the ups and downs of the case. However, what really drove the proceedings to a boil were the remarks by Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.

In a heated exchange regarding Chew’s citizenship, Cotton explicitly mentioned the growing suspicions that TikTok is an informational resource for China or, more specifically, the Chinese Communist Party. Chew repeatedly told the committee that he was “Singaporean” by nationality, but Cotton continued to ask about whether the CEO had Chinese citizenship or whether he had applied to become a Chinese citizen.

Chew, who stated that he had “served [his] military [of Singapore] for two and a half years,” lives in Singapore, a free-election nation with stark differences compared to the Chinese government. Cotton then asked about the brutal 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and again inquired whether Chew was affiliated with or a member of the Chinese Communist Party. Chew again vehemently denied that he was either by saying he was a Singaporean national. Finally, Cotton asked Chew’s opinion on Chinese genocide and the “dictatorship of Xi Jinping.” Chew declared he would not talk about any political leaders.

The now viral clips on news platforms have since quite ironically blown up internationally on various social media platforms, many of which were under question recently. It has especially caught fire on Instagram and TikTok, where users have attacked Cotton’s remarks — both his condescending actions and racist remarks.

What sticks out are the several comparisons to “McCarthyism,” a term named for former Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s. McCarthy, along with some other public figures, accused several other American public figures of being members of the Communist Party and indulging in unpatriotic actions, often causing the accused to lose jobs, livelihoods and social status. An eerie sense of similar dynamics pervaded the social media hearings, where senators like Cotton quickly assumed automatic guilt and painted TikTok a threat without even trying to listen to Chew’s words in defense of his platform.

As an Asian American immigrant myself, I find this spectacle disturbing. Like all the companies in question, TikTok does need to provide truthful, accurate evidence about how their social media platforms are protecting the well-being of their users and the nation. However, I fail to see how Chew’s race and racial heritage have anything to do with the issue that was under discussion.

It is without a doubt important to keep the United States strong in terms of its national security; however, this “modern-day McCarthyism” is just flat-out racist prejudice on the part of Cotton and his supporters. They focused their efforts on ad hominem attacks on Chew, barraging him with outlandish questions about his political affiliations and national origins, rather than investigating any actual wrongdoing on the part of TikTok. This is a clear case of scapegoating an Asian without solid proof.

Additionally, these hearings not only stigmatize the Chinese and Chinese American communities, but also Asians in general. A clear and comprehensive procedure would focus on the various companies’ policies and practices in the protection of individuals’ privacy and data rights. Directing baseless insinuations about a CEO’s alleged ties to any political party or system (despite his having no linkage to China whatsoever) was a bald-faced exercise in racist hostility.

Ultimately, the phrasing used by Sen. Cotton should not be normalized in any way. The government should focus on increasing cooperation between technology companies and their users through advancing collaboration and transparency. This will lead to more effective solutions that address national security. The unfortunate exchange between Cotton and Chew just promotes misinformation, ignorance and racist prejudice.

It is only through a commitment to inclusivity and the acknowledgement of diversity that we can build a society that defends individual rights all the while balancing national security concerns with regard to fairness, justice and human dignity.

Alex Seojoon Kim is a high school student in Stillwater.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Sen. Tom Cotton's 'modern-day McCarthyism' should not be normalized