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TikTok CEO Grilled By US Congress

By  |  March 23, 2023

At a hearing before lawmakers from the United States on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was questioned intensely. Chew explained the ways in which the app ensures user protection, especially for minors, clarifying that precise user location are not collected by the application.
The hearing was hosted by the now Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee began at 10AM ET on Thursday morning. Titled “TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms”.

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    Prior to testifying at the hearing, Chew asserted that the company would prioritize the protection of minors, enhance its privacy and security measures, and guard against any unauthorized foreign access to US user data. These assurances underscore their commitment to proper governance measures.

    Read more: TikTok CEO Reassures EU Officials They Are Serious About Data & Privacy

    “… I understand that there are concerns stemming from the inaccurate belief that TikTok’s corporate structure makes it beholden to the Chinese government or that it shares information about U.S. users with the Chinese government,” Chew said. “This is emphatically untrue,” reported TechCrunch. 
    According to the CEO of TikTok, Alex Chew, the company has never allowed access to data from US users to the Chinese government. Furthermore, in the event of receiving any requests for access of this nature, Chew insists that TikTok would not comply.

    “Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew said.

    In remarks released ahead of his appearance before a House committee, Chew argued that a ban would “silence” TikTok’s 150 million American users and threaten the livelihoods of 5 million small businesses.