Grandstandingdominatesatestyhearing,asnoproofofferedonharmtosecurity

Editor"snote:FormorethanfivehoursataCongresshearingonThursday,TikTokCEOShouZiChewwasgrilledbyUSlawmakersoverallegeddatasecurityandharmfulcontentconcernsoftheapp.ThispagetakesacloserlookatwhatwassaidduringthehearingandargumentsagainstapotentialbanonTikTok.

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TikTok"schiefexecutiveShouZiChewappearedonThursdayattheUSHouseEnergyandCommerceCommitteehearing,wherelawmakersquestionedhimaboutChina"sinfluenceanddataprivacy.

Duringthetestimonyofmorethanfivehours,ChewrepeatedlydeniedaccusationsthattheappsharesdataorhasconnectionswiththeChinesegovernment.

"We"reheadquarteredinLosAngelesandSingapore,andwehave7,000employeesintheUStoday,"Chewsaid."Thebottomlineisthis:AmericandatastoredonAmericansoil,byanAmericancompany,overseenbyAmericanpersonnel."

Lawmakersinbothmajorpoliticalpartiesseemedconvincedthattheappposesnationalsecurityrisks,citingitsparentcompanyByte-DanceinBeijing,andtheyseemeduninterestedinChew"sanswers.

"Letmestatethisunequivocally:ByteDanceisnotanagentofChinaoranyothercountry,"Chewsaid.

Chewwasinterruptednumeroustimesandwasnotallowedtorespond.

FollowingRepresentativeKatCammack"slengthycritiqueofTik-Tok"scontentmoderationandlinkstoChina,ChewaskedcommitteechairCathyMcMorrisRodgersifhecouldrespond.

"No.We"regoingtomoveon,"shereplied.

Inapost-hearingstatement,Tik-Toksaid:"ShoucamepreparedtoanswerquestionsfromCongress…unfortunately,thedaywasdominatedbypoliticalgrandstandingthatfailedtoacknowledgetherealsolutionsalreadyunderway."

TikTokhasbecomeextremelypopularintheUnitedStates,especiallyamongyoungpeople.Theplatformhas150millionmonthlyactiveusersinthecountry,including5millionbusinessesthatuseTikToktoreachcustomers,accordingtothecompany.

Ithascomeunderincreasedscrutinyinthepastfewyearsover"nationalsecurity"concernsthatUSusers"datacouldbepassedontoChina.

ThecompanysurvivedabanattemptbyformerpresidentDonaldTrump.TheTrumpadministrationfirstproposedbanningtheshort-formvideoappin2020,butthateffortwasstoppedbyfederalcourts,whichquestionedthevalidityofclaimsaboutnationalsecurityrisks.

DuringThursday"shearing,lawmakersofferednoevidenceofTik-TokharmingUSnationalsecurityinterests.

"Ithinkalotofrisksthatarepointedoutarehypotheticalandtheoreticalrisks,"Chewsaidatthehearing."Ihavenotseenanyevidence.Iameagerlyawaitingdiscussionswherewecantalkaboutevidenceandthenwecanaddresstheconcernsthatarebeingraised."

Toaddressprivacyconcerns,Tik-Toksaidithasspentmorethan$1.5billionondatasecurityeffortsunder"ProjectTexas",whichcurrentlyhasnearly1,500full-timeemployeesandiscontractedwithOracleCorporationtostoreTikTok"sUSuserdata.

Outsideofthehearing,TikTokgainedsupportfromseveralCongressmemberswhocalledtheproposedbanonTikTokGOP-led"hysteria"abouttheapp"stiestoChina.

InDecember,USPresidentJoeBidensignedabilltobantheappongovernmentdevices.Recently,theadministrationhasthreatenedtobantheappintheUS,ifitsparentcompanywillnotsellitsstakes.

RepresentativeJamaalBowmanofNewYorkjoinedtwocolleaguesanddozensofTikTokcontentcreatorsonWednesdayinfrontoftheCapitoltoopposetheban.

"YoucanbanTikTok,buttherearestilldatabrokerswhosellourdatatoothercountries.…Solet"snothaveadishonestconversation.Let"snotberacisttowardChinaandexpressourxenophobiawhenitcomestoTikTokbecauseAmericancompanieshavedonetremendousharmtoAmericanpeople,"Bowmansaidattheprotest.

Behindhim,supportersheldsignsshowing"KeepTikTok","MyteachingthrivesonTikTok"and"MyArtthrivesonTikTok".

"I"mveryclearonhowharmfulFacebook,Instagram,TwitterandYouTubehavebeen,justtonameafew.Imean,presidentDonaldTrumpusedTwittertohelpfacilitateaninsurrection,anattackontheUSCapitolbyUScitizens.So,whilewe"reworriedaboutChinaharmingourcountry,weareharmingourselves,"Bowmansaid.

HesaidlawmakersconcernedaboutprotectingusersshouldnottargetTikTok,butmustinsteadfocusonanationallawthatwouldprotectuserdataacrossallsocialmediaplatforms.

ChewalsonotedthefailureofUSsocialmediacompaniestoaddressthesameconcernsforwhichTik-Tokwasbeingcriticized.

"Americansocialcompaniesdon"thaveagoodtrackrecordwithdataprivacyandusersecurity.LookatFacebookandCambridgeAnalytica,justoneexample,"hesaid.

Faircompetitionurged

Inresponsetothematter,China"sForeignMinistryspokeswomanMaoNingsaidtheUSgovernmenthasnotprovidedanyevidencethatTikTokthreatensUSnationalsecurity,buthastimeandagaincrackeddownonthecompanywiththepresumptionofguilt.

SheurgedtheUStorespecttheprinciplesofmarketeconomiesandfaircompetition.

TheChinesegovernmentattacheshighimportancetoandprotectsinaccordancewithlawdataprivacyandsecurity,MaosaidatadailynewsconferenceonFriday.

"Wehaveneverasked,andwillneveraskanycompanyorindividualtocollectorprovidedata,informationorintelligencelocatedabroadagainstlocallaws,"Maosaid.

TheUSshouldstopsuppressingforeigncompanies,andprovideanopen,fair,justandnondiscriminatoryenvironmentforforeigncompaniesoperatinginthecountry,Maosaid.

CallieGoodwin,whorunsagreetingcardcompany,said95percentofherorderscomefromTik-Tokfollowers."I"msothankfulthatthisapphasgivenmethechancetogrowmybusinessandtoseekthisentrepreneurialjourneythatwouldnotbepossiblewithoutit,"shesaid.

"Abantakesawaytheconnectionswe"vebuilt,silencingcommunitiesthatcontinuetobeunderrepresentedandnotgivenavoice,"saidTiffanyYu,whoisdisabledandfoundedadisabilityadvocacyorganization."TikTokhasreallybeenagame-changerforme.It"sallowedmetoreachnewaudiences."

"Abanwouldbeanentirelyun-American,undemocraticandinappropriateresponsetoanunprovenrisk,"ChrisStokel-Walker,authorofTikTokBoom:China"sDynamiteAppandtheSuperpowerRaceforSocialMedia,wroteinarecentarticleforTheWashingtonPost.

"BanningTikTokwouldbecompletelyuselessincombatingadifferent,muchbetter-evidencedsocialmediapitfall—thespreadofdangerouspropaganda,"hesaid.

"Banningoneplatformandignoringtheotherswouldsolvenothing,whileallowingthedeeperproblemstofester."

WangQingyuninBeijingandagenciescontributedtothisstory.