TikTok: Social media app faces questions from US politicians
- Published
- comments
TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew faced questions from US politicians about the app
TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps in the world. Over a billion people use it every month for funny videos, dance crazes, songs and even news.
But the app is at the centre of a debate over the information it holds about its users and where that information is stored.
TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, called Bytedance, and politicians in the US are worried that the Chinese government could access its data.
Last week, one of TikTok's big bosses faced nearly five hours of questioning from US politicians about these concerns.
Why are people worried about TikTok?
TikTok is very popular, but is data safe on the app?
In 2020 former US President Donald Trump wanted to ban it in America, and even though it didn't happen then, current President Joe Biden also thinks it should be banned or sold by its Chinese owners.
But why are US politicians so worried about it?
Many social media apps - including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok - gather information about you from the content you look at, people you follow, and what you favourite on their platform.
Tech companies use this information to deliver more content it thinks you'll like and also to show you adverts it thinks will appeal to you.
Lots of people are worried about the amount of data any social media app has, but there are more worries about TikTok because it's owned by a Chinese company.
Why does it matter that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company?
TikTok's boss Shou zi Chew is from Singapore but the app is owned by a Chinese company called Bytedance
One of the main worries of US politicians is about the power and control the Chinese government has over companies in China.
The boss of the FBI - a special US government department that enforces the law - said: "China's laws allow its government to compel any Chinese company to provide any information it requests."
That's the reason TikTok has been banned on UK government phones, and BBC journalists have been advised against having it on work phones.
TikTok boss Shou zi Chew says there's "no evidence" the Chinese government has access to TikTok's data.
He also said TikTok plan to hold American data on US soil, in a place run by a US company, so the data should be safe.
China has only one political party, so people can't vote for different parties at elections
China doesn't allow families bigger than three children. Until 2015 families couldn't have more than one child!
Chinese news can't be critical of the government, often reporters and journalists are threatened or arrested for criticising the government
You can't access all of the internet in China, only what the government allows
What will happen to TikTok after the US hearing?
Media and journalists were very interested in what the TikTok boss had to say to the US politician's questions
In the lengthy hearing, TikTok boss Shou zi Chew answered lots of politician's questions about the app.
The Chair of the Committee asking the questions says she wants to ban the app in the US.
It's unclear whether that will happen, but after the long hearing it was clear that US politicians are agreed that TikTok is a threat to security.
TikTok complained afterwards that not enough time had been spent focusing on the platform's measures to keep data safe.
Mr Chew also spoke about the 150 million Americans who use the app every month and that a ban would have a big effect on the five million businesses in America which regularly use it.
Whatever the outcome, it seems likely that the TikTok debate will keep scrolling on and on...
- Published16 March 2023
- Published3 July 2020
- Published2 March 2023
