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TikTok CEO Grilled by Skeptical Lawmakers on Safety, Content “How to Improve Your Life by Making Small Changes” “Enhance Your Life with Simple Alterations”

The long-awaited hearing of TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew by the U.S. lawmakers on Thursday failed to provide a definite answer as to whether the app would be banned or not. Chew tried to assure the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned due to its Chinese connections. He also denied any data security risks posed by the platform and its parent company, ByteDance. However, the Biden administration has reportedly asked for the Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the company in order to avoid a nationwide ban.

The hearing also brought concerns to the surface about the platform’s content moderation practices, how the company plans to secure American data from Beijing, and its spying on journalists. It also highlighted how the company has been censoring videos that mention Tiananmen Square and included images unfavorable to the Chinese government.

Moreover, committee members showed a host of TikTok videos that encouraged users to harm themselves and commit suicide. Wealth management firm Wedbush described the hearing as a “disaster” for TikTok that made a ban more likely if it doesn’t separate from its Chinese parent.

To avoid a ban, TikTok has been trying to sell officials on a $1.5 billion plan, Project Texas, which routes all U.S. user data to servers owned and maintained by the software giant Oracle. Congress, the White House, U.S. armed forces and more than half of U.S. states have already banned the use of the app from official devices.

In conclusion, the hearing was inconclusive and it remains to be seen what action the Biden administration will take to address its TikTok concerns. While a nationwide ban would risk backlash from its young user base, some restrictions are necessary in order to protect American users from potential data security risks posed by the platform.

Key points:
• U.S. lawmakers grilled TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew in a 6-hour hearing on Thursday
• Chew denied the platform’s Chinese connections posed any data security risks
• The Biden administration has reportedly asked for the Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the company in order to avoid a nationwide ban
• The hearing also brought concerns to the surface about TikTok’s content moderation practices
• To avoid a ban, TikTok has been trying to sell officials on a $1.5 billion plan, Project Texas
• Congress, the White House, U.S. armed forces and more than half of U.S. states have already banned the use of the app from official devices
• It remains to be seen what action the Biden administration will take to address its TikTok concerns

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