Watch & Comment Live: TikTok CEO Testified Before Congress

Updated March 23, 2023, 4:00pm EST

• After five hours of questioning, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing ended. Lawmakers from both parties are demanding Chew take accountability for TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government and its harmful effects on children and teenagers.
• Committee members reportedly grilled Chew on security and privacy risks. U.S. officials have not shared evidence of a current threat of the app's parent company, ByteDance, providing the Chinese government with users’ data, such as approximate location and browsing history. Intelligence officials have been focusing on the potential risk, given Beijing’s control of the economy and individual companies. 
• Chew said the company would store U.S. users’ data out of reach of the Chinese government and that the app’s tools were meant to limit teenagers’ time on the app, such as a 60-minute limit for users under 18 years old, but committee members were unconvinced. 
• Lawmakers pointed to the previous tech executives who have testified before congressional committees and how few changes were made in the industry following the hearings. Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) said:

“When we spoke a couple of weeks ago, you indicated interest in taking steps to earn our trust. And, to me, it hasn’t happened today so far.”

• China said it would oppose efforts by the U.S. to force the selling of TikTok, along with Biden’s stance against the nation’s ownership of the app. This limits Biden’s options as Congress moves forward with three bills targeting TikTok. 

What's the story?

• On March 23, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is due to appear before Congress to testify on the app's consumer privacy and data security practices, along with its impact on children and its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. 
• GOP committee aids are expecting the CEO to focus on "Project Texas," a plan designed by TikTok to address security concerns by rerouting U.S. user traffic through Oracle's domestic cloud servers. 
• Various Senators and the Biden administration are backing the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act, which would allow the administration to ban Chinese-owned TikTok and any foreign-based technologies that pose a risk to national security. Chew is expected to argue against banning the app because of its popularity.
• Dozens of creators and influencers with large TikTok followings will gather on Capitol Hill to support Chew and convey how central the app is to their livelihoods. TikTok spokesperson Jamal Brown said:

"Lawmakers in Washington debating TikTok should hear firsthand from people whose lives would be directly affected by their decisions."

Check back tomorrow to watch the full committee hearing here: "TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms"