TikTok's Chief to Face Tough Questions from Lawmakers

TikTok's chief executive, Zhang Yiming, will face tough questions from lawmakers on Thursday, March 23, 2023, who are convinced the Chinese-owned short video app should be barred for being a potential national security threat to the United States. This comes after concerns about the Chinese government's access to user data on TikTok, as well as the app's potential for spreading misinformation and propaganda.

The issue of national security and Chinese ownership of tech companies has been a contentious issue for several years now. The U.S. government has long been concerned about the potential for China to use its control over tech companies to gain access to sensitive information and engage in espionage activities. This concern has only grown in recent years with the rise of apps like TikTok, which have become immensely popular with young people in the United States.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and regulators over its data handling practices. In 2020, former President Trump issued an executive order that would have banned TikTok from the United States if it was not sold to a U.S. company. However, the order was later blocked by a federal court, and the Biden administration has yet to take any action on the issue.

Despite this, many lawmakers remain convinced that TikTok represents a national security threat to the United States. They argue that the app's access to user data, combined with its potential for spreading propaganda and misinformation, make it a powerful tool for Chinese influence operations in the United States.