During a recent hearing, Senator Ted Cruz questioned the CEO of TikTok, raising concerns about the company's compliance with national intelligence laws and accusations of censorship. The senator expressed skepticism about TikTok's claims of data protection and accused the company of promoting harmful content in the United States while censoring material in China.
Cruz began his line of questioning by asking whether ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is subject to the law. The CEO confirmed that ByteDance is subject to the law for its Chinese businesses but emphasized that TikTok itself is not available in mainland China. He also stated that they have taken measures to ensure data protection by moving the data into an American cloud infrastructure.
The senator then raised concerns about the aforementioned law potentially compelling individuals to lie in order to protect national intelligence work secrets. The CEO declined to comment on that but reiterated that TikTok's data has been moved out of reach. However, Cruz voiced his disbelief and stated that he did not trust the company's claims, adding that the American public shares his skepticism.
Cruz also highlighted a stark difference in the content promoted on TikTok in China compared to the United States. He alleged that TikTok in China focuses on educational and beneficial material for kids, while in the US, it promotes self-harm videos and anti-Israel propaganda. The CEO vehemently denied these allegations, stating that they are not accurate and that the experiences on TikTok in China and the US are separate.
The senator proceeded to provide an analysis of hashtag usage on popular social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, and found a significant difference when it came to politically sensitive subjects. Cruz cited ratios of posts related to hashtags like Uyghur, Tibet, Tiananmen Square, and Hong Kong protest, revealing a much lower presence on TikTok compared to Instagram. He asked the CEO about the censorship TikTok undertakes at the request of the Chinese government.
The CEO disputed the analysis and claimed that it was flawed, citing external sources that have debunked it. He stressed that TikTok does not censor content based on political subjects and that users are free to post their opinions. The CEO attributed any differences in content to the algorithm and the platform's relative newness compared to other apps.
The hearing concluded with Senator Cruz wrapping up his line of questioning, expressing his skepticism towards the CEO's assertions and highlighting the critical nature of the hearing as senators from both sides of the aisle expressed discontent with the tech CEOs present. The hearing showcased the ongoing battle between lawmakers and social media platforms over issues of data privacy, censorship, and national security.
