TikTok CEO to Testify in Congress on Privacy, Kids’ Access

Daniel Flatley, Bloomberg News

Shou Zi Chew , Photographer: Bryan van der Beek/Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the company’s privacy policies, the app’s impact on children and the company’s relationship with the Communist Party in China, Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers said in a statement.

“ByteDance-owned TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data,” Rodgers, a Republican representative from Washington, said in a statement. “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.”

The committee said Chew will testify on March 23, in what will be his first appearance before a congressional committee.

TikTok has been under increasing US scrutiny for its ties to the Chinese government. In November, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Homeland Security Committee that China’s government could use TikTok to control millions of users’ data or software, and its recommendation algorithm — which determines which videos users will see next — “could be used for influence operations if they so choose.”