CNN
—
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 knowledge safety practices, its affect on younger customers, and its “relationship to the Chinese language Communist Get together,” in response to a listening to announcement on the committee’s web site.
“We’ve made our issues clear with TikTok,” stated 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 Huge Tech accountable by bringing TikTok earlier than the committee to supply full and trustworthy solutions for individuals.”
Chew’s upcoming testimony was first reported by The Wall Avenue Journal. TikTok didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The high-profile listening to underscores the rising political threat for TikTok as its negotiations with the US authorities on a nationwide safety deal proceed to pull on.
US officers have raised issues that China may use its legal guidelines to stress TikTok or its guardian, ByteDance, handy over US consumer knowledge that could possibly be used for intelligence or disinformation functions. These issues have prompted the US authorities to ban TikTok from official gadgets, and greater than half of US states have taken comparable measures, in response to 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 america, throughout a Senate listening to final 12 months.