TOLEDO, Ohio — U.S. lawmakers grilled the CEO of TikTok over data security and harmful content Thursday, responding skeptically during a tense committee hearing to his assurances that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned.
Shou Zi Chew's rare public appearance came at a crucial time for the company, which has 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.
In a bipartisan effort to reign in the power of a major social media platform, Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed Chew on a host of topics, ranging from TikTok’s content moderation practices, how the company plans to secure American data from Beijing, and its spying on journalists.
There are fears that the communist Chinese government could supersede any of the company's safeguards and access user data for nefarious purposes.
Ohio is one of several states that have already banned TikTok on government-issued devices.
WTOL 11 reached out to several state lawmakers about their stance on TikTok, and their responses can be found below. Representatives for U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) did not respond to a request for comment.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
“We must protect Ohioans’ personal information from the Chinese Communist Party. I have serious concerns with this company’s ties to the Chinese government, and will continue to work with members of both parties to look at how we can best protect Ohioans’ privacy and our national security.”
U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green)
“This week, TikTok proved to Congress that they are not concerned about the egregious violations of Americans’ trust and privacy or the safety of our children. TikTok’s CEO, Mr. Chew, openly admitted the Chinese Communist Party currently has access to the data of the 150 million U.S. TikTok users. This should serve as a wakeup call and alarm every single American. While a TikTok ban would not right the wrongs of the data that has already been taken, it would ensure that no more American citizens’ data is shipped off to the Chinese Communist Party. I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner in the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold TikTok accountable.”
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo)
“Unsuspecting Americans should not be put at risk for exploitation by China or its communist state aligned companies mining their data. In the 21st century, we have to ensure that we know who has access to our data, and safeguard personal information from our adversaries,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. “This is why I have already sponsored legislation this Congress that will help strengthen consumer protection and allow the American public to know if their data has been compromised by China or Chinese state owned companies.”
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