TikTok CEO Shou Chew faces the fight of his life on Thursday, when he will try to convince a congressional committee that the hugely popular app poses no threat to national security.
If he fails, TikTok could face a U.S.-wide ban that would prevent new downloads and stop U.S-based users from receiving updates to keep the app functioning properly.
TikTok has come under increasing scrutiny since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump threatened to ban it nationwide. Since then, the app has been banned from federal devices.
So, why is TikTok deemed such a problem by some lawmakers? Well, they believe that as it’s owned by a Chinese firm, ByteDance, the huge amount of data that it has on American citizens could be utilized by the Chinese Communist Party to learn more about the nation’s behavior, predilections, and more. Some fear Beijing could also tweak TikTok’s algorithm to send misinformation to users.
Chew will attempt to defend the app on Thursday, offering reassurances about how it handles TikTok user data and insisting that it’s safe in the company’s hands.
On Tuesday, Chew released a video where he revealed for the first time that 150 million people in the U.S. use TikTok, among them 5 million businesses — comments designed to show just how woven the app is into the fabric of American life.
“Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok,” Chou said in the video, adding: “This could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you.”
The results of a recent poll carried out by the Washington Post suggested that more Americans back a TikTok ban than oppose one (41% versus 25%), with most respondents voicing concerns about the app’s link to China.
How to watch Shou Chew defend TikTok
Chou needs to be at the top of his game to convince the congressional committee that TikTok poses no problems for the U.S. You can watch his defense of the app via the player embedded at the top of this page or by heading to C-Span’s YouTube channel, which will carry the same feed.
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