TikTok Scrutiny: CEO Will Tell Lawmakers App Is Safe For Minors And Ban Would ‘Hurt’ U.S. Economy
ForbesDec 06, 2022
The Facts
In his first appearance before Congress on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Chew was questioned by US lawmakers concerned about the platform's suspected ties to China, users' privacy, and its impact on children.
During the more than five hours of testimony, Chew repeatedly denied the app shares data or has connections with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and argued the platform was doing everything to ensure the safety of its 150M American users.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The US has no choice but to ban TikTok. The data the app gathers is too powerful, and Beijing unquestionably extorts Chinese companies to advance its own interests. The CCP cannot be allowed to have access to important data from tens of millions of Americans. Too much is at stake to allow TikTok to continue collecting information on its US users.
Establishment-critical narrative
Talk about banning TikTok shows just how out of touch US lawmakers are. Fear-mongering legislators paint TikTok and China as boogeymen while completely ignoring Facebook, Google, and Twitter’s invasion of privacy. Under the guise of caring about its citizens’ privacy, the US government is merely flexing its muscles against China.
