Last Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing titled “TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms,” in which members of Congress interrogated Shou Chew, the chief executive of TikTok, regarding the nefarious app.

TikTok hoped to improve its standing amongst members of Congress since there is increasing bipartisan criticism of the app, how it operates, and its relations with parent company ByteDance. In fact, numerous bills have already been introduced in both the House and Senate that seek to ban TikTok in the United States. Not to mention that the app is excluded from government devices by various state governments and the federal government.

Despite increasing criticism, TikTok has sought to maintain its presence and business in the United States by seeking approval from the federal government. As The New York Times reports, “TikTok has sought approval from a group of federal agencies known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, for a plan called Project Texas. That plan outlines how TikTok will prevent the Chinese government from accessing U.S. user data or meddling with content recommendations, with oversight from government-approved officials and third-party auditors.”

American Catholic Bishops Take a Stand Against Sex Reassignment Surgeries – ‘Male and Female He Created Them’

Despite TikTok’s acceptance of the Project Texas plan, recently, the Biden administration expressed a desire that the popular app should change ownership or face a possible ban. In addition, hours before the House hearing, China’s Commerce Ministry came out publicly in opposition to a “forced” sale of TikTok. Further demonstrating how Sino-American relations continue to deteriorate in what is sometimes described as a new Cold War. This is the background in which the Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing was held.

In the hearing, committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) expressed that TikTok represents a threat to American national security. Chair McMorris Rodgers said that “TikTok has repeatedly chosen the path for more control, more surveillance, and more manipulation. Your platform should be banned.” She also expressed skepticism that Project Texas would be enough to solve the national security concerns about TikTok. She also severely criticized the app’s record on privacy protections. During the entirety of the hearing, there was deep, bipartisan skepticism regarding TikTok.

US TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew admits that CCP controlled ByteDance can access American user data. pic.twitter.com/woPqYqHD9r

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 23, 2023

In one of the most blistering moments of the hearing, Chair Rodgers asked Chew, “Can you say with one hundred percent certainty that Bytedance or the CCP cannot use your company, or its divisions, to make content to promote pro-CCP messages for act of aggression against Taiwan?” Chew responded that “It is our commitment to this committee and all users that we will keep this free from any manipulation of any government.” To which Chair Rodgers answered, “If you can’t say it’s 100% certain, I take that as a no.” For his part, Ranking Member Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D., N.J.) also came out against TikTok’s proposed solutions to national security concerns. Ranking Member Pallone explained, “While TikTok videos provide a new, fun way for people to express their creativity and enjoy the videos of others, the platform also threatens the health, privacy, and security of the American people. And I am not convinced that the benefits outweigh the risks it poses to Americans in its present form.”

TikTok's CEO, Shou Chew, faced over five hours of questioning from lawmakers of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, reflecting their distrust of the popular video app over its ties to China, data practices and the app's potential effects on children. https://t.co/QctiF4yaXj pic.twitter.com/CwzDS6xNBU

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 23, 2023

In one of the most shocking exchanges of the hearing, Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) asked Chew if the company had spied on Americans in collusion with the Chinese Communist Party. Chew declared, “I don’t think ‘spying’ is the right way to describe it.” As Max Cohen of Punchbowl News summed the hearing, “It was a disaster for the popular video-sharing app.”

TikTok CEO on Americans’ Data: “I have seen no evidence that the Chinese government has access to that data.”

REP. ESHOO: “I find that, actually, preposterous.”

pic.twitter.com/hnq8IHdlSZ

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) March 23, 2023

You Can Follow Rodney on Twitter Here