‘Preposterous!’ California Democrat Shreds TikTok CEO’s Claim He’s Seen ‘No Evidence’ China Has Access to Platform Data

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Thursday as bipartisan calls to ban TikTok over Chinese government spying concerns have reached a fever pitch in Washington, D.C.

During one particularly feisty exchange, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) called out Chew for claiming he has seen “no evidence” that the Chinese government can access TikTok’s data, collected from American users.

Eshoo pressed Chew to further prove claims he made in his opening statement of separation between TikTok and the Chinese state, “How do you convince the Congress of the United States that there can be a clean break? Why would the Chinese government sidestep their national law, including Article 7, Article 10, in terms of user data?”

“Congressman, thank you for the question. I’m glad you asked this. As I said in the opening statement, our plan is to move American data to be stored on American soil,” Chew replied.

“I understand that. But you’re sidestepping or I haven’t read anything in terms of TikTok, how you can actually say and you spoke in your opening statement about a firewall relative to the data. But the Chinese government has that data,” insisted Eshoo.

“Well, how can you promise that that will move into the United States of America and be protected here?” the Democrat pressed.

“Congresswoman, I have seen no evidence that the Chinese government has access to that data. They have never asked us. We have not provided,” Chew shot back.

After some crosstalk, Eshoo concluded, “I find that actually preposterous.”

“I have looked and I have seen no evidence of this happening. And in order to assure everybody here and all our users, our commitment is to move that data in into the United States, to be stored on American soil by an American company overseen by American personnel. So the risk will be similar to any government going to an American company asking for data,” Chew insisted.

“Well, I’m one that doesn’t believe that there is really a private sector in China,” Eshoo hit back.

In recent months, various U.S. states have banned government officials and state contractors from using the app over data security concerns and speculation has grown that the federal government is soon to take similar steps.

Watch the full clip above via C-SPAN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!