The Chinese government reaffirmed on Friday that it does not mandate companies to provide data collected abroad, amidst increasing scrutiny of TikTok in the United States, which has sparked calls for a potential ban.
The video-sharing platform, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is facing pressure to either transition to new ownership or risk losing its significant user base in the US market.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew engaged in a rigorous five-hour session with US lawmakers on Thursday, fielding demanding inquiries from members of Congress regarding the app’s connections to China and its potential risks for young users.
Central to concerns about TikTok is a Chinese law enacted in 2017, which obliges domestic companies to share personal data with the government if it pertains to national security interests.
In response to the rising fears, Beijing denied it would require Chinese firms to relinquish data collected overseas, emphasizing its commitment to safeguarding data privacy.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated during a regular press briefing that China has never imposed such requirements on individuals or enterprises. Furthermore, Mao claimed that the US government has yet to furnish any factual basis for asserting that TikTok presents a national security threat.
During a particularly confrontational moment in the hearing, Chew conceded that some American users’ data remains vulnerable under Chinese law, yet he assured lawmakers that this situation would soon improve.
The company previously acknowledged in November that certain employees in China had access to European user data and later admitted in December that such data had been misused to monitor journalists.
Despite these admissions, TikTok maintains that the Chinese government does not have access to its data. “ByteDance is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and is a private company,” stated Chew in his opening remarks.
He further commented on the necessity for clear and transparent regulations that apply uniformly to all technology firms, suggesting that ownership is not the primary issue in addressing these concerns.
Chew’s testimony did little to mitigate the looming threat to TikTok, as the app is under pressure from the White House to divest from its Chinese ownership or face a ban in the United States.
Lawmakers from the House Energy and Commerce Committee persistently interrupted Chew, limiting his opportunities to elaborate on his responses or highlight TikTok’s widespread appeal among younger audiences.
Project Texas
A prohibition of TikTok would represent an unprecedented action by the US government against a media entity, potentially alienating the app’s 150 million users in the country who view it as a cultural staple.
Committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers stated, “TikTok has repeatedly chosen the path for more control, more surveillance, and more manipulation. Your platform should be banned.”
Supporters of TikTok, along with advocates for free speech, criticized the hearing, labeling it as political theatrics while urging lawmakers to reconsider any outright bans.
Nadine Farid Johnson from PEN America, an organization dedicated to defending free speech, argued that a heavy-handed approach would jeopardize American citizens’ First Amendment rights, suggesting that it does not address the real risks associated with TikTok.
Additionally, the Chinese government remarked that certain members of Congress have characterized the push for a TikTok ban as xenophobic political persecution.
Despite the challenges, TikTok hopes to placate regulators. Chew highlighted the company’s ambitious initiative, dubbed Project Texas, which aims to address national security concerns by establishing a US-centric division to manage data handling.
Nevertheless, lawmakers expressed skepticism regarding the efficacy of Project Texas, questioning its ability to alleviate worries about the app’s exposure to Chinese influence.
