TikTok representative Brooke Oberwetter said the company is willing to correct any misapprehension.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expectedly to appear before Congress in March as US lawmakers intensify the scrutinization of the popular video-sharing platform. The CEO agreed to appear before a congressional committee to answer questions on the safety and security of US users. If Chew appears before Congress as scheduled, it would be the first time the TikTok CEO would appear before a congressional panel.
TikTok CEO Is Testifying Before Congress
According to the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Chew’s appearance is on March 23rd. The congressional committee announced the scheduled testimony in a press release, noting that he is to “testify on TikTok’s consumer privacy and data security practices, the platform’s impact on kids, and their relationship with Chinese Communist Party.”
Even as this is the first time the TikTok CEO would be testifying before Congress, the company’s chief operating officer Vanessa Pappas recently appeared before a US Committee. The COO testified before a Congressional Committee in September 2022. The chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, explained the role of the team in the press release. He said the committee had been dedicated to questioning CEOs of tech giants like Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Twitter, and Facebook (NASDAQ: META). The team believed that “Big Tech has increasingly become a destructive force in American society.” Hence, the scheduled hearing for TikTok’s chief. Rodgers continued:
“ByteDance-owned TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data. Americans deserve to know how these actions impact their privacy and data security, as well as what actions TikTok is taking to keep our kids safe from online and offline harms. We’ve made our concerns clear with TikTok. It is now time to continue the committee’s efforts to hold Big Tech accountable by bringing TikTok before the committee to provide complete and honest answers for people.”
In response to the press release, TikTok representative Brooke Oberwetter said the company is willing to correct any misapprehension. He noted that the team wants to clarify the concerns about US national security in the presence of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The spokesperson concluded:
“We hope that by sharing details of our comprehensive plans with the full Committee, Congress can take a more deliberate approach to the issues at hand.”
According to Oberwetter, the Chinese Communist Party does not have direct or indirect power over ByteDance or TikTok. He further explained that TikTok has worked on a proposal with top national security agencies through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Hence, Oberwetter is certain that “that kind of data sharing- or any other form of foreign influence over the TikTok platform in the United States- would not be possible.
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