From ByteDance to Cambridge Analytica: Six Takeaways From TikTok CEO’s Testimony to Congress

The testimony came as Congress and the Biden administration weigh potential measures to address Washington’s national security-related concerns about TikTok, including a possible full ban. The short video-sharing app has already been restricted by several entities within the US government.

Members of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee have held a meeting to hear testimony from TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew, whom the lawmakers questioned about the platform’s data privacy practices and alleged ties to the Chinese government. Here are six takeaways from the hearing.

'We Aren't Buying It'

During four-and-a-half hours of questioning, Chew told the panel that TikTok does not share information about US users with the Chinese government, described ongoing efforts to further protect US user data, and denied that the platform colludes with the Chinese Communist Party through China-based parent company ByteDance.

However, members from both parties expressed skepticism about Chew’s claims and further questioned him about TikTok’s privacy practices and ties to China.

“Your platform should be banned. I expect today you’ll say anything to avoid this outcome, like you are 100% responsible for what TikTok does… We aren’t buying it,” Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers said during remarks.

TikTok supports congressional efforts to adopt comprehensive federal privacy legislation, Chew underscored, adding, however, that there are solutions to concerns raised by lawmakers apart from a nationwide ban.

Is TikTok a Chinese Company?

Tony Cardenas, a Democrat from California, then asked Chew whether TikTok is a Chinese company. The app’s CEO responded that TikTok is global in nature, not available in mainland China, and headquartered in Singapore and Los Angeles.

After Neal Dunn, a Republican from Florida, asked if ByteDance has “spied on American citizens,” Chew responded that “spying is not the right way to describe it.”

'Project Texas'

When pressed by lawmakers about the issue, Chew admitted that there is still some US data available in China.

He referred to a policy called "Project Texas", which will store all data in the US under the watch of the American company Oracle. With the project yet to be fully operational, the TikTok CEO confirmed that ByteDance engineers in China do have access to data.

"We rely on global interoperability, Chinese engineers have access to data," Chew said. Lawmakers responded by insisting that if engineers in China can obtain data, it's safe to assume the Chinese government may also access it.

“I am concerned that what you’re proposing with Project Texas just doesn’t have the technical capability of providing us the assurances that we need,” California Republican Jay Obernolte said.

'Look at Cambridge Analytica'

The testimony saw a rare moment where Chew effectively pushed back against the panel’s attacks.

When grilled on TikTok's user data, he said, "with all due respect, American companies don't have a great track record with data … Just look at Facebook and Cambridge Analytica."

Сambridge Analytica was a British private political consulting firm that ended up at the epicenter of a scandal that dragged down Facebook-turned-Meta.*

The company collected and used the data from 87 million Facebook subscribers to study their habits and work out how best to influence their voting preferences in the US 2016 elections.

Youth Safety

Another focus of the hearing was safety of TikTok’s young users, with lawmakers citing reports that drug-related content has spread on the app, allowing teens to easily purchase dangerous substances online.

Chew said that such content runs counter to TikTok policy and that it is removed when identified.

“We take this very seriously. This is an industry-wide challenge, and we’re investing as much as we can. We don’t think it represents the majority of the users’ experience on TikTok, but it does happen,” he added.

According to Washington-based Pew Research Center, 67% of those aged 13 to 17 in the US say they have used the app and 16% of that age group say they use it “almost constantly.”

Do Chew's Kids Use TikTok?

At one point, the TikTok chief executive was asked by Democratic congresswoman Nanette Barragan whether his own children used TikTok.

Chew explained they did not use the app because they live in Singapore, where the version of the platform for children younger than 13 is not available.

He then clarified that the children's version of the app is available in the US, and he would allow his children to use it if they were in America.

Currently, TikTok access from government devices is prohibited in more than half of US states due to security concerns about user data allegedly being accessed by the Chinese government. In addition, the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has approved a bill that could allow the US government to ban TikTok or any other foreign app nationwide if they are deemed a threat to national security.

Meta/Facebook is banned in Russia as an extremist organization.