Will TikTok be banned? Ohio politicians make their voices heard

TOLEDO, Ohio — U.S. lawmakers questioned the CEO of TikTok on data security and harmful content on Thursday, responding skeptically during a tense committee hearing to his assurances that the wildly popular video-sharing app gives the priority to user safety and should not be prohibited.

Shou Zi Chew’s rare public appearance came at a crucial time for the company, which has 150 million US users but is under increasing pressure from US authorities. TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have been swept up in a larger geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology.

In a bipartisan effort to reign in power over a major social media platform, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have pressed Chew on a host of topics, from TikTok’s content moderation practices, to how the company plans to secure US data from Beijing and its spying on journalists.

There are fears that the Chinese communist government could override one of the company’s safeguards and access user data for nefarious purposes.

Ohio is one of several states that have already banned TikTok on government-issued devices.

WTOL 11 reached out to several state lawmakers about their stance on TikTok, and their responses can be found below. Representatives for U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) and U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) did not respond to a request for comment.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)

“We must protect the personal information of Ohioans from the Chinese Communist Party. I have serious concerns about this company’s ties to the Chinese government and will continue to work with members of both parties to see how we can best protect the privacy of Ohioans and our national security.

Rep. American Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green)

“This week, TikTok proved to Congress that it is not concerned about gross violations of Americans’ trust and privacy or the safety of our children. TikTok CEO Mr. Chew openly admitted that the Chinese Communist Party currently has access to the data of America’s 150 million TikTok users. This should serve as a wake-up call and wake-up call to every American. While a TikTok ban will not right the wrongs of data that has already been taken, it would ensure that no further US citizen data is shipped to the Chinese Communist Party. I look forward to working bipartisanly on the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold TikTok accountable .

Rep. American Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo)

“Unsuspecting Americans should not be at risk of being exploited by China or its communist state-aligned companies that mine their data. In the 21st century, we need to make sure we know who has access to our data. and protect the personal information of our adversaries,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. “That’s why I’ve already sponsored legislation from this Congress that will help strengthen consumer protections and let the American public know whether their data have been compromised by China or Chinese state-owned enterprises.”

RELATED VIDEO

Source