TikTok CEO To Face U.S. Congress in March Over Security Practices

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23 as they question the video-sharing app’s data privacy and security practices.  

This will be Chew’s first appearance as a sole witness before a congressional committee, according to Representative Cathy McMorris Rogers, the Republican chair of the panel. 

“We’ve made our concerns clear with TikTok,” said McMorris Rogers. “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.” 

The announcement followed after the House Foreign Affairs Committee shared its plans to vote on a bill that aims to block TikTok usage in the U.S., claiming that the app puts national security at risk. "ByteDance-owned TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data," McMorris Rodgers explained. 

U.S. officials have raised concerns about China possibly using its laws to pressure TikTok into giving them user data. This made the House ban the social media marketing platform on all government official devices.  

However, TikTok denied these claims, reinstating that the Chinese Communist Party has “neither direct nor indirect control of ByteDance or TikTok.” 

The video-sharing giant hopes to clear the allegations in the upcoming trial. "We welcome the opportunity to set the record straight about TikTok, ByteDance, and the commitments we are making to address concerns about U.S. national security before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce," said a company spokesperson.  

"By sharing details of our comprehensive plans with the full committee, Congress can take a more deliberative approach to the issues at hand."