TikTok CEO Grilled in Congress: Key Moments

TikTok Chief Executive Shou Chew’s appearance in Congress on Thursday did little to calm the bipartisan fury directed at the viral video-sharing service. If anything, his more than four hours of testimony gave critics more fuel to insist the app be banned in the US.

“We came here hoping to hear some action that would alleviate our concerns,” said Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat. “I’ve not been reassured by anything you’ve said so far. I think quite frankly your testimony has raised more questions for me than answers.”

Chew faced hostile questioning from members of both parties — who often cut off his attempts to answer — in his appearance before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The testimony comes as lawmakers and the Biden administration are exploring how to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance Ltd., to sell its shares of the unit or block it in the US.

Chew said TikTok is independent of its Beijing-based owner and the platform’s headquarters are in Singapore and Los Angeles.

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[Rich_P_Anya]

It was embarassing how technologically illiterate these officials were.

[travioliraviolicanoli]

i like how they barely let him speak and he was so chill when all congress did was interrupt him

[VtalicX]

Crazy how instagram shows murder on it and they leave it alone

[theephemerality]

Is there a single intelligent and objective person on congress, or did they all set out to simply interrupt/drown out the TikTok CEO with biased allegations and dumb questions

[fairfeatherfiend]

Remember each congressman doesn't have to even graduate high school, he only needs some people to vote for him.

[nimueh]

Every time we use the Internet, purchased something from the Internet all our information is being shared not just Tik Tok.

[fostyseedman]

Grilled with the dumbest question ever asked by our lawmakers

[Star-]

I think TikTok CEO was stunned at their low level of IT literacy but tries not to show it. Instead he pretended that all those were difficult questions just to humour them 😝

[oxozy]

congress keeps cutting him off everytime he tries to explain LMFAO what a joke

[Learnhistory]

These hypocrites!!! What about mainstream media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., What about Google. I am flabbergasted on this hypocrisy!!

[ScottNewsome]

As if banning TikTok will magically solve the problems with youth in America....

[dadakmj]

I'd like to think that Congress is trying to do this for the sake of Americans. However, I think its more likely that lobbyists representing entities such as meta and google play a larger role in congress going after tiktok.

[m.p.]

This committee should be the same task force in Covid, Insider Trading and other issues impacting our nation...so selective

[thehillbillygamer]

What about Facebook and Google how many American citizens have I spied on

[frankcastle]

She spoke about the threat cos she knows USA doesn't have the backbone to write into legislation to take away the 2nd amendment. I love how it's always everyone else's fault with the government instead of their own.

[tapiocamango]

All he gave were straightforwards answers. They were credible and he can support them with sources, if he needs to bring it up. Our country looks terrible here and it's very poorly represented.

[Mary-zdxo]

Tik Tok CEO, you are the winner. So calm and dignified. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[god]

“you dont give straight foward answers” bruh yall dont ask proper questions

[RadTwin]

They said the same about every big data company. And sadly nothing ever changes

[breakhart]

the moment he said "you trying to be good actor" is the moment where he lose the debate. any personal attack means "I don't believe you" so why make a hearing in the first place, that wasting time