The head of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, will seek to convince the United States Congress don’t leave the popular app before fears in washington that the company has ties to the chinese government and affect national security.
The Singaporean 40 years will address the mighty COmittee on Commerce and Energy of the House of Representatives at 14:00 GMT to submit to an interrogation of hours by republicans and democrats who fear that beijing subvert site to spy or propaganda.
Chinese company owned ByteDance, TikTok is under enormous pressure in western countries: The government officials of United States, United Kingdom and Canada, as well as the European Comissionthey were forced to remove the app on your devices.
Even the British broadcaster The BBC advised its staff on Tuesday to remove the short video app of their phones.
The gravest threat comes from the United Stateswhose government gave an ultimatum so that TikTok ceases to be Chinese property or in front of a total veto in the country.
a ban would be an unprecedented act against a media company by of Washington, since it would deprive 150 million users monthly in the country of an application that has been become a cultural powerhouse, specially for Youngand in the main source of entertainment after Netflix.
TikTok Owner Not China Agent, Claims
Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance not an agent of China nor from any other country. Chew will say before the House committee, based on published prepared comments prior to the hearing.
“TikTok has never shared or received a data sharing request of US users with the Chinese government. TikTok I will not comply eithera with such a request if it ever occurs.” will add Chew in his statement opening Thursday.
Nevertheless, the letters in washington they seemed to be against of Chew, with legislation – and even a bill backed by of the White House– that paves the way for the application ban.
“Americans deserve to knower how far your privacy looks compromised and their data manipulated for the relationship from TikTokproperty of ByteDance, with China,” said Cathy McMorris Rodgers, president of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
“What is worse, We know that big tech companies, like TikTok, they use harmful algorithms to exploit children for purposes profit and expose them to dangerous content.” added the Republican.
Sell TikTok to Microsoft?
In his last months in charge of the White House, Donald Trump also sought to ban the appbut a judge blocked the attempt.
During that battle, he propelled himself a possible sale of TikTok to Microsoft or Oraclewhich never materialized due to opposition from China.
Beijing urged last week “stop unjustifiably repressing” to TikTok claiming that the United States there was no evidence that the application poses a threat to your national security.
in a post from TikTok earlier this week, Chew asked the US users to defend their favorite app by sharing «what they love” about her with lawmakers.