Africa-Press – Mauritius. TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, has been summoned to appear before the U. S. Energy and Commerce Committee in March, to answer questions about the privacy and data security of the app’s American users. This marks Chew’s first-ever appearance before a congressional committee.
Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who chairs the panel as a Republican, has raised concerns about the app’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party and its potential access to American user data.
In a statement, she said, “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.
” TikTok has confirmed that Chew will be appearing before the committee on March 23rd and welcomed the opportunity to “set the record straight. ”
In a statement, the company said, “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. We hope by sharing details of our comprehensive plans with the full committee, Congress can take a more deliberative approach to the issues at hand.
” However, the company also denies Representative McMorris Rodgers’ claims, stating that “there is no truth to Rep.
McMorris Rodgers’ claim that TikTok has made U. S. user data available to the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese Communist Party has neither direct nor indirect control of ByteDance or TikTok.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee is also planning to hold a vote next month on a bill that aims to ban the use of TikTok in the United States, due to national security concerns.
Republican lawmakers, including McMorris Rodgers, are seeking further information from TikTok on various issues, including the impact of the app on young people and concerns about harmful content and sexual exploitation of minors on the platform.
TikTok has been trying to assure the U. S. government for the past three years that the personal data of American citizens is safe and that its content cannot be manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party or anyone under its influence.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) ordered ByteDance to divest TikTok in 2020, due to fears that U. S. user data could be passed onto the Chinese government.
CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for over two years to reach a national security agreement to protect the data of TikTok’s American users. The White House declined to comment on the status of these talks or whether it would support a legislative ban on TikTok.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
