TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has asserted that the popular short video platform is at a critical juncture as an increasing number of legislators in the United States advocate for a ban due to national security issues.
In a video shared on TikTok early Tuesday, Chew revealed that the platform has surpassed 150 million active monthly users in the US. He noted, “That’s almost half the US coming to TikTok,” highlighting the platform’s growth from 100 million US users reported in 2020.
Chew is scheduled to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, where he acknowledged, “Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok.”
“Now this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you,” he warned in a video backdrop featuring the US Capitol.
He encouraged TikTok users to share their thoughts on what aspects of the app they would like US lawmakers to understand better.
Additionally, Chew mentioned that 5 million businesses across the United States utilize TikTok to connect with customers.
Concerns have been raised by TikTok’s detractors regarding the potential for US user data to be accessed by the Chinese government, since the app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. However, TikTok has consistently denied these spying allegations.
On Tuesday, TikTok announced updates to its community guidelines and shared further information regarding its strategies to safeguard US user data. The company indicated it has begun deleting certain protected US user data held in data centers located in Virginia and Singapore, having transitioned new user data to Oracle Cloud services last year.
Last week, it was revealed that the Biden administration has requested that TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their interests in the app; failing that, a potential ban looms.
TikTok asserted that it has invested over $1.5 billion in comprehensive data security measures, contending that “if protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access.”
The push for a TikTok ban is gaining momentum among US lawmakers, including Energy and Commerce Committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, as reported by congressional aides on a call on Monday. On Friday, an additional six senators introduced bipartisan legislation aiming to provide President Biden with the authority to enact a ban on TikTok.
On March 1, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee voted along party lines to grant President Biden new powers to impose restrictions on TikTok.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
