Although a potential US-wide ban on TikTok has its roots in a Trump-era executive order, it has become an increasingly mainstream political position under President Joe Biden, whose administration has reportedly demanded that ByteDance, the app’s Chinese parent company, either sell off TikTok or face being banned in the US.
Now TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is testifying before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, making an attempt to convince lawmakers the app is safe.
The core concern is national security, namely that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok could give the Chinese government a way to access personal data of the service’s 150 million US users. The federal government already bans its employees from installing the app on official devices, and it’s an increasingly similar story across state governments. There are also concerns that TikTok’s video recommendation algorithm could be used to promote China’s foreign policy goals.