Shou Zi Chew warns of looming ban and calls on users to defend app
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has taken to the platform to galvanize users ahead of a congressional hearing on Thursday, warning of a looming ban and calling on users to defend the app. In a minute-long video posted to the ByteDance subsidiary’s official TikTok account, Chew outlines points he is likely to make during his testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee later this week.
150 million American users
Chew notes that TikTok now has 150 million American users, including 5 million US businesses, making up almost half of the US. He also highlights that the majority of these are small and medium businesses. This information was recently reported in advance of Chew’s testimony.
7,000 American employees
The video also reveals that TikTok has 7,000 American employees, a big leap over the 1,400 US headcount it had in 2020. While this falls short of the 10,000 or more employees that TikTok aimed for in 2020, it still demonstrates significant growth.
Banning TikTok
Chew goes on to discuss the issue of banning TikTok, acknowledging that some politicians have already started talking about it. He describes the potential ban as a threat to all 150 million users of the platform, and while he doesn’t call on users to participate in the democratic process, he does ask them to share their thoughts on what they love about TikTok in the comments.
Changing safety policies
TikTok has been in the news recently for changing its safety policies and approach to AI after news broke that it is being investigated by the Justice Department for allegedly surveilling journalists. The company is also reportedly sending influencers to Washington, DC, to defend the app.
Unprecedented move
A ban on TikTok is not the preferred option for many politicians, with President Joe Biden’s administration reportedly asking parent company ByteDance to sell or spin off the app. Chew highlights that banning TikTok would be a nearly unprecedented move that huge numbers of Americans would notice, and that TikTok is betting they won’t like it. If a ban were to be imposed, it is likely that TikTok would oppose it in court, as users of the China-based WeChat did successfully in 2020.
Conclusion
Chew’s video is part of a charm offensive by TikTok ahead of the congressional hearing, as the company seeks to convince lawmakers that it can be trusted despite its Chinese ownership. While direct-to-user lobbying is nothing new for the tech industry, TikTok has largely kept a low profile in this regard, focusing instead on more buttoned-down campaigns to convince politicians and reporters of its safety.
