Pressure from the Senate is mounting on TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to reply allegations that his China-founded app saved American information within the communist nation.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, and Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican, are demanding Mr. Chew clarify reviews about TikTok information allegedly saved and accessible in China regardless of his contradictory testimony to the House earlier this yr.
The bipartisan duo’s letter comes after Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, requested the Department of Justice final week to analyze whether or not Mr. Chew perjured himself for allegedly deceptive Congress in regards to the information storage.
“We are disturbed by TikTok’s pattern of misleading or inaccurate responses regarding serious matters related to users’ safety and national security, and request that TikTok correct and explain its previous, incorrect claims,” Mr. Blumenthal and Ms. Blackburn wrote to Mr. Chew on Tuesday.
The senators’ letter cited considerations about reviews suggesting American TikTok creators’ Social Security and tax data was saved in China and that TikTok staff shared Americans’ personally identifiable data on an inside messaging instrument. ByteDance, TikTok’s China-founded guardian firm, made the inner messaging instrument.
The senators mentioned the reviews contradict Mr. Chew’s testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March, notably relating to his feedback about U.S. information being saved in Virginia and Singapore.
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TikTok mentioned it’s not sweating the stress from Capitol Hill.
“We are reviewing the letter,” TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter mentioned in an announcement. “We remain confident in the accuracy of our testimony and responses to Congress.”
The questions in regards to the accuracy of the TikTok CEO’s congressional testimony escalate pressure between the corporate and lawmakers, who’re reviewing laws to allow the banning of the app within the U.S.
Policymakers have considerations that China’s insurance policies of military-civil fusion forcing cooperation between companies and the federal government put Americans’ information susceptible to falling into the arms of the Chinese authorities.
President Biden has not made a proper, last determination a couple of broad ban on TikTok. In latest months, a rising variety of Biden administration cybersecurity officers have raised considerations in regards to the platform, together with the leaders of the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com