TikTok CEO to tell Congress the app is safe, secure and should not be banned – By Scott Wong (NBC News) / Mar 22 2023
In his first appearance before Congress, CEO Shou Zi Chew will argue that banning TikTok would hurt small businesses and silence “the voices of over 150 million Americans.
WASHINGTON — TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to tell Congress on Thursday that the social media platform is safe and secure for teenagers and other users and that it won’t be accessed or influenced by the Chinese government, according to his prepared remarks.
During his first appearance before Congress, Chew also will confirm that TikTok now boasts 150 million users in America — a 50% increase since 2020, as NBC News previously reported, a sign that the popular video-based app is now an integral part of American society.
Chew’s much-anticipated testimony comes as the Biden administration and key lawmakers in both parties are pushing to restrict or outright ban TikTok in the United States, citing national security concerns.
Chew will note in his appearance before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday morning that the average TikTok user is now well past college age. Many of those users in the U.S., he will say, are artists, musicians, chefs and other creators, as well as small business owners, in a clear appeal to Republican members of the panel.
