TikTok CEO Chew tells Congress app ban would “hurt” U.S. businesses and “damage” economy

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will inform legislators Thursday that prohibiting the app in the U.S. would harm American services and the nation’s economy, according to freshly launched remarks gotten ready for his statement prior to Congress.

Driving the news: The Biden administration has actually alerted the company that it deals with a restriction in the United States if its moms and dads business, ByteDance, does not offer its stake in the U.S. variation of the app in the middle of nationwide security issues, per Axios’ Sara Fischer and Ashley Gold.

What he’s stating:”We do not think that a restriction that injures American small companies, harms the nation’s economy, silences the voices of over 150 million Americans, and lowers competitors in a significantly focused market is the option to an understandable issue,” Chew states in the ready testamentlaunched by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday night.

• “Let me state this unquestionably: ByteDance is not a representative of China or any other nation. … Rather, our technique has actually been to work transparently and cooperatively with the U.S. federal government and Oracle to develop robust services to attend to issues about TikTok’s heritage,” Chew continues.
• “We likewise eagerly anticipate partnering with the Committee on establishing clear, constant guidelines for the whole market.”

The huge image: China’s judgment Communist Party has actually stated there’s no proof that TikTok threatens nationwide security.

• FBI director Chris Wray informed the Senate Intelligence Committee previously this month that Beijing has the capability to manage the software application on millions of gadgets due to its relationship with ByteDance.
• More than a lots nations have actually presented complete, partial or public sector restrictions on TikTok due to nationwide security issues.

Of note: Chew published a video on TikTok shot in Washington, D.C., earlier Tuesday ahead of his congressional look to state he’s “very thrilled to reveal” that the platform has more than 150 million users in the U.S.

• “That’s nearly half the U.S. concerning TikTok to link, to develop, to share, to discover, or simply to have some enjoyable,” Chew stated. “This consists of 5 million companies that utilize TikTok to reach their clients. And most of these are little and medium organizations.”

• He appealed straight to TikTok users in the video, stating: “Some political leaders have actually begun discussing prohibiting TikTok. This might take TikTok far from all 150 countless you.”

What we’re enjoying: In his ready remarks, Chew vowed to keep TikTok’s American users safe by making 4 crucial dedications:

1. “We will keep security– especially for teens– a leading concern for us;
2. “We will firewall software safeguarded U.S. user information from unapproved foreign gain access to;
3. “Tiktok will stay a platform totally free expression and will not be controlled by any federal government;
4. “We will be transparent and admit to third-party independent screens, to stay responsible for our dedications.”

Go deeper: The political truths that make a nationwide TikTok restriction challenging

Editor’s note: This is a breaking newspaper article. Please examine back for updates.