TikTok boss grilled for hours in US Congress – BBC News

Tick Tock CEO grilled by lawmakers over Chinese ownership

The Tick Tock CEO, Sho D2, was questioned by US lawmakers about the app's Chinese ownership and its potential threat to national security.

Lawmakers' concerns

• Lawmakers expressed concern that Tick Tock's Chinese ownership makes it untrustworthy and harmful to American teenagers.

• Republican representative Buddy Carter accused the Chinese Communist Party of using Tick Tock for psychological warfare to influence US children.

• Lawmakers remained skeptical despite Sho D2's assurance that By Dance, which owns 60% of Tick Tock, is a private company not owned or controlled by the Chinese government.

Content censorship

• Lawmakers questioned whether Sho D2 directed engineers to change source code for content censorship.

• They also asked why Tick Tock continues to have the capacity for censorship while claiming not to censor content.

Influencers protest against potential ban on Tick Tock

A group of influencers protested against the Biden administration's threat to ban Tick Tock unless it divests from its Chinese owners.

Impact on creators

• Many creators built their brands and businesses on Tick Tock and would be severely impacted if the app were banned in the US.

• However, many creators are prepared for a potential ban and have already started using other platforms.

Importance of Tick Tock in America

Jasmine Enberg, Principal Analyst at Social Media Insider Intelligence, discusses how important Tick Tock is to American consumers and businesses.

Revenue in the US

• Tick Tock is estimated to rake in about $7 billion in the US alone, which is about half of its worldwide ad revenues.

• The US market is incredibly important for Tick Tock, and billions of dollars are at stake.

Proving a negative

Jasmine Enberg discusses how difficult it is for Sho D2 to prove that Tick Tock isn't or can't be used by the Chinese Communist Party to influence US public opinion.

Tough questioning

• Sho D2 had to prove a negative, which was incredibly tough questioning.

• It's not just about data privacy but also soft influence and the type of content served on Tick Tock.

Conclusion

Despite Sho D2's assurances, lawmakers remain skeptical about Tick Tock's Chinese ownership and potential threat to national security. Many creators built their businesses on Tick Tock and would be severely impacted if the app were banned in the US. However, they are prepared for a potential ban and have already started using other platforms. The US market is incredibly important for Tick Tock, with billions of dollars at stake.

Lawmakers Questioning

The speaker talks about the tough questioning that lawmakers proposed and how he stuck to his talking points.

Tough Questioning

• Lawmakers proposed tough questioning.

• Speaker was able to answer a lot of the questions.

• He stuck mainly to his talking points.