TikTok’s CEO is going straight to the app’s user base in the United States to fight back against a potential ban in the country.
As reported by The Verge, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew released a video on the social media app today warning users about the possible ban of the app in the United States. This announcement comes amid rising tensions between the Chinese-owned app and the US government, which has raised concerns about the privacy of the app’s user data — especially when it comes to national security.
In the video, Chew highlighted the importance of TikTok’s user base in the US, noting that the app now has 150 million users in the country, almost half of the population in the United States. He pointed out that 5 million of those accounts are for small to medium-sized businesses. He also said that the company has invested heavily in its US operations, employing 7,000 people across the country.
Chew ended the video by asking Americans to leave comments on what they love about TikTok, indicating that the CEO may use those comments during his testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. You can check out the entire video below:
TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny from US lawmakers and government officials over concerns about the app’s potential to compromise user privacy and national security. Multiple governments around the world have already banned TikTok on government-issued devices, and the company continues to face potential nationwide bans in multiple countries.
The Biden administration recently demanded that ByteDance’s Chinese owners sell their stake in the company to avoid a total ban in the United States, something that the company has pushed back against as a viable solution. We’ll see if Chew is able to sway Congress with the comments he gets on his video.
