Ahead of Congressional Hearing, TikTok CEO Says 150M Americans Use the App

TikTok CEO Appeals to Users Ahead of Congressional Hearing Amid Threat of Ban

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is set to testify in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the app's privacy and data practices. In preparation for the hearing, Chew took to TikTok to rally support from the app's users, stating that TikTok now has 150 million monthly active users in the US. He emphasized that this count includes 5 million businesses that use TikTok to reach customers. Chew plans to inform the committee about the measures that TikTok has taken to protect American users.

 

TikTok has faced increased scrutiny from lawmakers over concerns that data from US users could be passed on to China's government. Earlier this month, the Biden administration demanded that ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, sell its stake in the app or face a possible ban in the US. Chew warns in the video that some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok, which could take away the app from all 150 million American users.

 

Despite TikTok's popularity, the app was banned from government devices in December over concerns that it could pose a threat to national security. Other countries, including Canada and EU member states, have taken similar steps. TikTok has repeatedly stated that it doesn't share data with the Chinese government and has taken steps to assuage concerns, such as partnering with Oracle to store US users' data.

 

Chew calls upon American users to write in the comments what they want representatives to know and why they love TikTok. The video has already garnered more than 2 million views. Chew is set to testify on Thursday and will likely face questions about TikTok's data practices and its relationship with the Chinese government. It remains to be seen whether Chew's appeal to TikTok's American user base will be successful in fending off a potential ban.