TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the United States Energy and Commerce Committee in March, as lawmakers investigate the Chinese-owned video-sharing app.
Chew will testify before the committee on March 23, marking his first appearance before a congressional committee, said Republican chair Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers in a statement.
The announcement comes as the House Foreign Affairs Committee prepares to vote next month on legislation to prohibit the use of TikTok in the United States due to national security concerns.
“ByteDance-owned TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data,” McMorris Rodgers said, adding that Americans have a right to know how these actions affect their privacy and data security.
“We welcome the opportunity to set the record straight about TikTok, ByteDance, and the commitments we are making to address concerns about US national security before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce,” a company spokesperson said, adding that “by sharing details of our comprehensive plans with the full committee, Congress can take a more deliberative approach to the issues at hand.”
In addition, the company stated “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.”
McMorris Rodgers and other Republican lawmakers have asked TikTok for more information. They want to know how it affects young people amid concerns about harmful content, and they want more information on potential sexual exploitation of minors on the platform, according to the statement.
TikTok, which has over 30.8 Million Daily Active Users via iOS, and 14.43 million daily active users via Android has been trying for years to reassure users that personal data cannot be accessed and its content cannot be manipulated by China’s Communist Party or anyone else under Beijing’s influence.