TikTok CEO Says Company at ‘Pivotal’ Moment as Calls for Ban in US Grow

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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew mentioned the Chinese language-owned brief video app firm faces a pivotal second as a rising variety of US lawmakers search to ban the favored app over nationwide safety considerations.

Chew mentioned in a video posted on TikTok early Tuesday the app now has greater than 150 million lively month-to-month US customers. “That is virtually half the US coming to TikTok,” Chew mentioned. TikTok in 2020 mentioned it had 100 million US customers.

Chew, who will testify Thursday earlier than the Home Power and Commerce Committee, mentioned: “Some politicians have began speaking about banning TikTok.”

“Now this might take TikTok away from all 150 million of you,” he mentioned within the video that options the US Capitol within the background.

He requested TikTok customers to go away feedback about what they wished US lawmakers to find out about “what you’re keen on about TikTok.”

Chew additionally mentioned 5 million US companies use TikTok to succeed in prospects.

TikTok’s critics concern its US person information could possibly be handed on to China’s authorities by the app, which is owned by the Chinese language tech firm ByteDance. TikTok rejects the spying allegations.

TikTok additionally mentioned Tuesday it had up to date its neighborhood use pointers and provided extra particulars of its plans to safe the info of US customers. The corporate mentioned it had began to delete this month US person protected information in information facilities in Virginia and Singapore after it began routing new US information to the Oracle Cloud final 12 months.

Final week, TikTok mentioned the Biden administration demanded that TikTok’s Chinese language homeowners divest their stake within the app or it may face a US ban.

TikTok, which has mentioned it has spent greater than $1.5 billion (roughly Rs. 12,396 crore) on rigorous information safety efforts, mentioned “if defending nationwide safety is the target, divestment does not remedy the issue: a change in possession wouldn’t impose any new restrictions on information flows or entry.”

A rising variety of US lawmakers help a ban on TikTok. This contains Power and Commerce Committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, congressional aides informed reporters on a name Monday. On Friday, six extra US senators backed bipartisan laws to present Biden new powers to ban TikTok.

On March 1, the US Home International Affairs Committee voted alongside occasion strains to present President Joe Biden new powers to ban TikTok.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


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