TikTok CEO appeals to U.S. users ahead of House testimony

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appealed straight to the app's users, up of what's expected to beryllium a heated grilling successful the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee this week, successful a video posted to the level connected Tuesday.

Filming from Washington D.C., Chew emphasized the ample standard of TikTok users, tiny and medium-sized businesses and its ain employees based successful the U.S. that trust connected the company. The connection whitethorn preview his entreaty to lawmakers connected Thursday, wherever helium volition beryllium faced with questions astir the quality of its Chinese genitor institution ByteDance, and the Chinese government, to entree U.S. idiosyncratic accusation collected by the app.

TikTok has worked to make a hazard mitigation program to guarantee that U.S. information doesn't get into the hands of a overseas adversary done its app. The institution has said U.S. idiosyncratic information is already stored extracurricular of China.

But galore lawmakers and quality officials look to stay unconvinced that the accusation tin beryllium harmless portion TikTok is owned by a Chinese company. TikTok said past week that the Committee connected Foreign Investment successful the U.S., which is reviewing risks related to the app, is pushing for ByteDance to merchantability its involvement oregon look a ban.

Chew disclosed successful the video that TikTok has much than 150 cardinal monthly progressive users (MAUs) successful the U.S., representing monolithic maturation from August 2020, erstwhile it said for the archetypal time that it has astir 100 cardinal MAUs successful the country. That fig includes 5 cardinal businesses that usage the app to scope their customers, with astir of those being tiny oregon medium-sized businesses. He besides said TikTok has 7,000 U.S.-based employees.

"This comes astatine a pivotal infinitesimal for us," Chew said, referencing lawmakers' threats of a TikTok ban. "This could instrumentality TikTok distant from each 150 cardinal of you."

Chew past appealed to users straight to stock successful the comments what they privation their representatives to cognize astir wherefore they emotion TikTok.

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