CNN
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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify at an upcoming listening to earlier than the Home Power and Commerce Committee, a committee spokesperson confirmed to CNN Monday.
Chew would be the sole witness on the listening to, scheduled for March 23. He’s anticipated to testify on TikTok’s privateness and information safety practices, its impression on younger customers, and its “relationship to the Chinese language Communist Celebration,” in accordance with a listening to announcement on the committee’s web site.
“We’ve made our considerations clear with TikTok,” mentioned the committee’s chair, Washington Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, in an announcement. “It’s now time to proceed the committee’s efforts to carry Large Tech accountable by bringing TikTok earlier than the committee to offer full and sincere solutions for individuals.”
Chew’s upcoming testimony was first reported by The Wall Avenue Journal.
“We welcome the chance to set the file straight about TikTok, ByteDance, and the commitments we’re making to handle considerations about U.S. nationwide safety earlier than the Home Committee on Power and Commerce,” Brooke Oberwetter, a spokesperson for TikTok, mentioned in an announcement. “We hope that by sharing particulars of our complete plans with the total Committee, Congress can take a extra deliberative strategy to the problems at hand.”
The high-profile listening to underscores the rising political danger for TikTok as its negotiations with the US authorities on a nationwide safety deal proceed to pull on.
US officers have raised considerations that China may use its legal guidelines to stress TikTok or its father or mother, ByteDance, at hand over US person information that might be used for intelligence or disinformation functions. These considerations have prompted the US authorities to ban TikTok from official units, and greater than half of US states have taken related measures, in accordance with a CNN evaluation.
Chew, who took over as TikTok CEO in April 2021, has largely stayed out of the highlight at a time when the app he leads can’t appear to keep away from it. Members of Congress beforehand grilled TikTok COO Vanessa Pappas, arguably the general public face of the corporate in the US, throughout a Senate listening to final 12 months.
