The sound of TikTok echoed in Congress
TikTok CEO under pressure in U.S. Congress
The sound of TikTok echoed in Congress. According to Iran Gate, Shou Zi Chew said, ‘I have not seen any evidence that China has access to TikTok users’ data.’ The governments of the United States and other countries fear that ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, might provide browsing history or other user data to the Chinese government or promote false information and advertisements.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials are considering banning TikTok if ByteDance does not sell the company. Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting said that if the news about ByteDance’s sale is true, China will firmly oppose it. Shu added that a forced sale would severely damage investors in many countries, including China, and harm trust in investing in the United States.
TikTok CEO’s defense in Congress
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before a U.S. Congressional committee on March 23 to explain why the popular video-sharing app should not be banned. Zi Chew emphasized, ‘I have not seen any evidence proving that the Chinese government has access to TikTok users’ data,’ and assured that he has never negotiated with Chinese government officials in his capacity as CEO.
Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers from the Republican Party asked Shou Zi to guarantee 100% that the Chinese government cannot use TikTok or its parent company ByteDance to monitor Americans or manipulate the content they see.
Chew responded that the company is committed to defending Americans’ data against any unwanted foreign access and will not allow any government to manipulate or alter content.
Democratic Party Chair Frank Pallone in the committee said that even after hearing the TikTok CEO’s words, he is not convinced that TikTok’s security plan is effective. He then commented on TikTok’s efforts to present itself as a harmless public service provider, saying, ‘I still believe that the Communist government in Beijing will control this app and have the ability to influence what you do and your work.’
Many in Congress believe that as long as TikTok is owned by ByteDance, it cannot be independent of the Chinese government. The Biden administration recently asked TikTok’s owners to sell their shares, otherwise, the use of this social network might be banned in the United States. Hours before Shou Zi Chew’s hearing, China announced that it would oppose any attempt to pressure and force ByteDance to sell TikTok.
UK Parliament has banned TikTok on all devices
Meanwhile, the UK Parliament has decided to ban the use of TikTok on all its devices and networks, reflecting growing concerns about the security implications of using this app.
In a note sent to all members of Parliament, it stated, ‘Cybersecurity is our top priority, and we believe this is a necessary step to ensure our digital devices remain as secure as possible.’
This action by Parliament came a week after the UK government decided to ban the app on all government devices due to potential vulnerabilities in government data.
India has also taken a similar step by banning TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including the messaging service WeChat, citing security and privacy concerns.