TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced a grilling by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over privacy concerns for Americans’ data and the platform’s connection to the Chinese Communist Party.
The CEO was urged to sell the app or face a ban.
Chew defended TikTok, stating that the app does not collect any more personal data than other social media platforms.
However, lawmakers pressed him on whether TikTok’s parent company spies on its users, which Chew denied.
Some lawmakers walked out of the hearing with more concerns than they had initially, citing national security and privacy concerns.
Calls for a ban on TikTok have been growing, but it remains to be seen whether it will be instituted.
Lawmakers from both parties have acknowledged the political implications of banning TikTok, given its popularity among young voters.
