TikTok’s CEO Isn’t the Boss | PRO Insight

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In a hearing before Congress, Shou Zi Chew came off like an underling

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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew speaks to the media before he testifies to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. The hearing was a rare opportunity for lawmakers to question the leader of the short-form social media video app about the company's relationship with its Chinese owner, ByteDance, and how they handle users' sensitive personal data. Some local, state and federal government agencies have been banning use of TikTok by employees, citing concerns about national security (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew speaks to the media before he testifies to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC.(Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew had one mission as he appeared before Congress on Thursday: Convince U.S. lawmakers that TikTok had some separation from its China-based parent company, ByteDance. 

He was there because worries over China’s ability to access TikTok user data or influence its content filtering had U.S. lawmakers, regulators and the White House considering a ban or forced sale. Sound testimony from Chew could have cooled the situation. Instead, he inflamed it.

From the hearing’s first minutes, Chew made clear his power at the helm of TikTok is limited. He could not say definitively that TikTok wouldn’t promote messages supporting Chinese hostilities toward Taiwan.

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Alex Kantrowitz

Alex Kantrowitz is a WrapPRO contributor. He’s the founder of Big Technology, a free newsletter and podcast about Big Tech and society. He’s also the author of “Always Day One: How the Tech Titans Plan to Stay on Top Forever” and a contributor at CNBC.

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