TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is interviewed at offices the company uses on Feb. 14, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - TikTok's CEO plans to tell Congress that the video-sharing app is committed to user safety, data protection and security, and keeping the platform free from Chinese government influence.Shou Zi Chew is due to answer questions Thursday from U.S.
lawmakers concerned about the social media platform's effects on its young user base and possible national security risks posed by the popular app, which was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs.Chew is sticking to a familiar script as he urges officials against pursuing an all-out ban on TikTok or for the company to be sold off to new owners.The Biden administration has demanded TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes in the app or face a possible ban, according to a report.
The move, reported by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter, is the most dramatic in a series of recent steps by U.S.
officials and legislators who have raised fears that TikTok's U.S. user data could be passed on to China's government. ByteDance-owned TikTok has more than 100 million U.S.