TIKTOK SIVS TESTIFYING – ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CHINA.

YOU’RE WATCHING LIVE COVERAGE ON C-SPAN 3.

THIS MORNING ON CAPITOL HILL THE CEO OF TIKTOK, SHOU ZI CHEW

IS TESTIFYING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY’S DATA SECURITY

PRACTICES AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

IT IS EXPECTED TO TELL LAWMAKERS THAT BANNING THE APP

IN THE U.S. WOULD HURT AMERICAN BUSINESSES, AND THE ECONOMY.

YOU ARE WATCHING LIVE COVERAGE HERE ON C-SPAN 3.

THIS MORNING ON CAPITOL HILL, THE CEO OF TIKTOK, SHOU ZI CHEW

IT’S TESTIFYING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES –

PRACTICES IN RELATION TO PUT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

HE’S EXPECTED TO TELL LAWMAKERS THAT BANNING THE APP IN THE

U.S. WOULD HURT AMERICAN BUSINESSES, AND THE ECONOMY.

YOU’RE WATCHING LIVE COVERAGE HERE ON C-SPAN THREE.

THE COMMITTEE WILL COME TO ORDER.

BEFORE I BEGAN I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ADDRESS THE

GUEST IN THE AUDIENCE. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR

COMING. WE THINK ENGAGED CITIZENS ARE

WELCOME AND A VALUABLE PART OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS.

I DO WANT TO REMIND THE CAST IN THE AUDIENCE THAT THE CHAIR IS

OBLIGED, UNDER THE HOUSE RULES AND THE RULES OF THE COMMITTEE,

TO MAINTAIN ORDER AND PRESERVE DECORUM IN THE COMMITTEE ROOM.

I KNOW THAT WE HAVE DEEP FEELINGS ON THESE ISSUES, AND

THAT WE MAY NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT I ASKED BY WE

ABIDE BY THE RULES AND BE RESPECTFUL OF OUR AUDIENCE

MEMBERS, OUR VIEWERS, AND OUR WITNESSES.

THE CHAIR APPRECIATES THE AUDIENCE COOPERATION IN

MAINTAINING ORDER AS WE HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION ON THESE

IMPORTANT ISSUES. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES HERSELF

FOR FIVE MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT.

MR. CHU YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED THE

TRUTH ABOUT THE THREAT TIKTOK POSES TO OUR NATIONAL AND

PERSONAL SECURITY. TIKTOK COLLECTS NEARLY EVERY

DATA POINT IMAGINABLE, FROM PEOPLES LOCATION, TO WHAT THEY

TYPE, AND COPY. WHO THEY TALK TO.

BIOMETRIC DATA, AND MORE. EVEN IF THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ON

TIKTOK, YOUR TRACKERS ARE EMBEDDED ON SITES ACROSS THE

WEB. TAKE TOPS OF AILS US ALL.

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY IS ABLE TO USE THIS AS A TOOL TO

MANIPULATE AMERICA AS A WHOLE. WE DO NOT TRUST TIKTOK WILL

EVER EMBRACE AMERICAN VALUES. VALUES FOR FREEDOM, HUMAN

RIGHTS, AND INNOVATION. TIKTOK HAS REPEATEDLY CHOSEN A

PATH FOR MORE CONTROL, MORE SURVEILLANCE, AND MORE

MANIPULATION. YOUR PLATFORM SHOULD BE BANNED.

I EXPECT TODAY HE WILL SAY ANYTHING TO AVOID THIS OUTCOME.

YOU ARE 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT TIKTOK DOES.

YOU SUDDENLY ENDORSE A NATIONAL DATA PRIVACY STANDARD.

THAT PROJECT TEXAS IS MORE THAN A MARKETING SCHEME, THAT TIKTOK

DOESN’T HARM OUR INNOCENT CHILDREN.

YOUR TIES TO THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY THROUGH

BYTEDANCE IS JUST A MYTH. WE ARE NOT BUYING IT.

IN FACT WHEN YOU CELEBRATE THE 150 MILLION AMERICAN USERS ON

TIKTOK, IT EMPHASIZES THE URGENCY FOR CONGRESS TO ACT.

THAT IS 150 MILLION AMERICANS THAT CCP CAN COLLECT SENSITIVE

INFORMATION ON, AND CONTROL WHAT WE ULTIMATELY SEE, HERE,

AND BELIEVE. TIKTOK HAS REPEATEDLY BEEN

CAUGHT IN THE LIE THAT IT DID NOT ANSWER TO THE CCP THROUGH

BYTEDANCE. TODAY, THE CCP’S LAWS REQUIRE

CHINESE COMPANIES LIKE BYTEDANCE TO SPY ON THEIR

BEHALF. THAT MEANS THAT ANY CHINESE

COMPANY MUST GRANT THE CCP ACCESS, AND MANIPULATION

CAPABILITIES, AS A DESIGN FEATURE.

RIGHT NOW BYTEDANCE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE DOJ FOR

SURVEILLING AMERICAN JOURNALISTS, BOTH DIGITAL

ACTIVITY AND PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS THROUGH TIKTOK.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT MANY OF YOUR EMPLOYEES STILL REPORT DIRECTLY

TO BEIJING. INTERNAL RECORDING REVEALS

THERE IS A BACK DOOR FOR CHINA TO ACCESS USER DATA ACROSS THE

PLATFORM. YOUR EMPLOYEES SAID, QUOTE,

EVERYTHING IS SEEN IN CHINA. A GATEWAY TO SPY IS NOT THE

ONLY WAY THAT TIKTOK AND BYTEDANCE CAN DO THE BIDDING OF

THE CCP. TIKTOK HAS HELPED ERASE EVENTS,

AND PEOPLE. CHINA WANTS THE WORLD TO FORGET.

IT HAS EVEN CENSORED AN AMERICAN TEENAGER WHO EXPOSED

CCPCS GENOCIDE AND TORTURE OF UYGHUR MUSLIMS.

THE FACTS SHOW THAT BYTEDANCE IS BEHOLDEN TO THE CCP.

BYTEDANCE AND TIKTOK ARE ONE IN THE SAME.

TIKTOK ALSO TARGETS OUR CHILDREN.

THE FOR YOU ALL FOR THEM IS A TOOL FOR TIKTOK TO OWN THEIR

ATTENTION AND PRAY ON THEIR INNOCENCE.

WITHIN MINUTES OF CREATING A COW, YOUR ALGORITHM CAN PROMOTE

SUICIDE, SELF HARM, AND EATING DISORDERS TO CHILDREN.

ENCOURAGES CHALLENGES FOR THEM TO PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER.

IT ALLOWS ADULTS TO PRAY ON OUR BEAUTIFUL, BELOVED, DAUGHTERS.

IT IS ALSO A PORTAL FOR DRUG DEALERS TO SELL ILLICIT

FENTANYL THAT CHINA HAS BANNED YET ISN’T HELPING MEXICAN

CARTELS PRODUCE, AND ACROSS OUR BORDER, AND POISON OUR

CHILDREN. IN CHINA, THE CCP PROACTIVELY

PROHIBITS THIS TYPE OF TIKTOK CONTENT THAT PROMOTES DEATH AND

DESPAIR TO KIDS. FROM THE DATA IT COLLECTS TO

THE CONTINENT CONTROLS, TIKTOK IS A GRAVE THREAT OF FOREIGN

INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN LIFE. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT IT’S A

LIKE ALLOWING THE SOVIET UNION THE POWER TO PRODUCE 70 MORNING

CARTOONS DURING THE COLD WAR. YET MUCH MORE POWERFUL IN MUCH

MORE DANGEROUS. BANNING YOUR PLATFORM WILL

ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE THREATS. MAKE NO MISTAKE THIS COMMITTEE

IS ALSO LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. AMERICA NEEDS TO BE PREPARED TO

STOP THE NEXT TECHNOLOGICAL TOOL OR WEAPON CHANNEL USED FOR

ITS OWN STRATEGIC GAIN. WE MUST PREVENT ANY APP,

WEBSITE, OR PLATFORMS LIKE TIKTOK FOREVER SPYING ON

AMERICANS AGAIN. WE MUST PROVIDE THE STRONGEST

PROTECTIONS POSSIBLE FOR OUR FUTURE CHILDREN.

THAT IS WHY THIS COMMITTEE IS LEANING ON A NATIONAL PRIVACY

AND DATA SECURITY STANDARD THAT RESTRICT SENSITIVE AMERICAN

DATA FROM REACHING OUR ADVERSARIES TO BEGIN WITH.

WHAT BIG TECH AND DATA BROKERS COLLECT, PROCESS, STORE, AND

SELL. IT MAKES IT ILLEGAL FOR ANY

PLATFORM TO TRACK AND TARGET CHILDREN UNDER 17.

MR. CHEW, THE COMMITTEE HAS REQUESTED A TIKTOK APPEAR

BEFORE US FOR A LONG TIME. FOR THOSE WE SERVE WE ARE GLAD

THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME. TODAY THE WORLD IS WATCHING.

BYTEDANCE IS WATCHING. THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY IS

WATCHING. THE ANSWERS YOU ALL OR TO THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE, A FREE PEOPLE, WHO CHERISH THEIR GOD GIVEN,

UNABLE RIGHTS TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

FOR ALL. THEY DESERVE THE TRUTH.

COMPLETE HONESTY IS THE STANDARD AND THE LAW THAT YOU

ARE BEING HELD TO BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE.

AS WE SEEK TO GET ANSWERS AND A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT

HAPPENS AT TIKTOK UNDER YOUR WATCH.

THANK YOU.

THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES THE RANKING MEMBER MR. PALLONE FOR

FIVE MINUTES. » THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

LET ME SAY THAT I AGREE WITH MUCH OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR AND TO THE ADAM AND HEAR COMMENTS

ON BEING A MOTHER AND YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CHILDREN.

I’M GLAD THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS HEARING TODAY.

BIG TECH HAS TRANSFORMED THE INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY INTO

A SUPERSPREADER OF HARMFUL CONTENT, INVASIVE SURVEILLANCE

PRACTICES, AND ADDICTIVE DAMAGING DESIGN FEATURES.

DATA IS BIG TECH’S MOST VALUABLE COMMODITY.

BY COLLECTING FOUR MORE YEARS ARE DATA THAN THEY NEED BIG

TECH PLATFORMS CAN USE, SHARE, AND SELL INFORMATION TO

GENERATE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE.

TODAY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE POWERLESS TO STOP THIS INVASION

ON THEIR PRIVACY. WE CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER AS A

COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL PRIVACY LEGISLATION THAT PUTS PEOPLE

BACK IN CONTROL OF THEIR DATA. WE MUST HOLD BIG TECH

ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS, TRANSPARENCY IS CRITICAL TO THE

ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT PASSABLE CONGRESSES, THIS

COMMUNITY HAS SERVED FROM SENIOR EXECUTIVE OF OTHER

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ABOUT TROUBLING AND REPEATED

INSTANCES WHERE THEY HAVE PUT PROFITS OVER PEOPLE.

NOW, TODAY, WE INTEND TO BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY TO TIKTOK.

WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY ITS BEIJING COMMUNIST-BASED COMPANY,

BRIGHT DANCE. AND WHILE TIC TAC RADIO

PROVIDING NEW FUN WAY FOR PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR

CREATIVITY AND ENJOY THE VIDEOS OF OTHERS, THE PLATFORM ALSO

THREATENS THE HEALTH, PRIVACY, INSECURITY, OF THE AMERICAN

PEOPLE. I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT THE

BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE RISK THAT IT POSED TO AMERICANS AND ITS

PRESENT FORM. MORE THAN 130 MILLION PEOPLE IN

THE UNITED STATES USE TIKTOK EVERY MONTH, INCLUDING TWO

THIRDS OF AMERICAN TEENAGERS. TIKTOK COLLECTS AND COMPILES

THE TROVES OF VALUABLE PERSONAL INFORMATION TO CREATE AND

ADDICTIVE ALGORITHM THAT IS ABLE TO PREDICT, WITH UNCANNY

ACCURACY, WHICH VIDEOS WILL KEEP USERS SCROLLING EVEN IF

THE CONTENT IS HARMFUL, INACCURATE, OR FEEDS

DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OR EXTREMIST BELIEFS.

THE COMBINATION OF TIKTOK BEIJING COMMUNIST CHINA

OWNERSHIP, AND ITS POPULARITY, EXACERBATES ITS DANGER TO OUR

COUNTRY AND TO ITS PRIVACY. THE COMMUNIST PARTY CAN COMPEL

COMPANIES BASED IN BEIJING, LIKE TIKTOK, TO SHARE DATA WITH

THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT TO EXISTING BEIJING LAW OR

COERCION. NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS ARE

SOUNDING THE ALARM, WARNING THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY COULD

REQUIRE TIKTOK TO COMPROMISED BY SECURITY, MALICIOUSLY ACCESS

AMERICAN USER DATA, PROMOTE PRO COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA, AND

UNDERMINE AMERICAN INTERESTS. DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS COULD

BE LAUNCHED BY THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT THROUGH

TIKTOK, WHICH HAS ALREADY BECOME RIFE WITH MISINFORMATION

AND DISINFORMATION, ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES, AND HATE SPEECH.

A RECENT REPORT FOUND THAT 20% OF TIKTOK SEARCH RESULTS ON

PROMINENT NEWS TOPICS CONTAIN MISINFORMATION.

SOCIAL MEDIAS PROFITABILITY DEPENDS ON GROWTH AND

ENGAGEMENT. OR EYES ON CONTENT FOR LONGER

TIME LEADS TO LONGER REVENUE GENERATION IN ADVERTISING

DOLLARS. EXISTING ALGORITHMS ARE

FINE-TUNED OUT MIGHT GROWTH AN ENGAGEMENT WITHOUT NECESSARILY

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT POTENTIAL HARM TO USERS.

CHILDREN AND TEENS ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE.

FREQUENT ONLINE VIEWS OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA ON DIGITAL

DEVICES IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF DEPRESSION

AMONG MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT TIKTOKS ADDICTIVE ALGORITHM RECOMMEND

VIDEOS TO TEENS THAT CREATE AND EXACERBATE FEELINGS OF

EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, INCLUDING VIDEOS PROMOTING SUICIDE, SELF

HARM, AND EATING DISORDERS. PUBLIC OUTRAGE AND HOLLOW

APOLOGIES ALONE ARE NOT GOING TO RAIN IN BIG TECH.

CONGRESS HAS TO ENACT LAWS PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

FROM SUCH ONLINE HARMS. WE SIMPLY CANNOT WAIT ANY

LONGER TO PASS THE COMPREHENSIVE PRIVACY

LEGISLATION THAT I AUTHORED WITH, THEN RANKING MEMBER NOW

CHAIRS ROGERS LAST CONGRESS THAT OVERWHELMINGLY ADVANCED

OUT OF THE COMMITTEE. IT ENSURE THAT COMPANIES,

WHEREVER THEY LIVE – IT ENSURES, I SHOULD SAY, THAT

CONSUMERS WHEREVER THEY LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY WILL HAVE

MEANINGFUL CONTROL OVER THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

OUR LEGISLATION ESTABLISHES BASELINE DATA MINIMIZATION

STRATEGIES ENSURING THAT COMPANIES ONLY COLLECT, PROCESS,

AND TRANSFER DATA NECESSARY TO PROVIDE A SERVICE.

IT PROVIDES HEIGHTENED PRIVACY PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN IN

TEENAGERS. I THINK THAT IT IS TIME TO MAKE

THIS LEGISLATION THE LAW OF THE LAND.

WE ALSO HAVE TO EXAMINE THE REFORMS NEEDED FOR SECTION 230

OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACTS.

THE LIABILITY SHIELD FOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS HAS, FOR TWO,

LONG BEEN ABUSED AND LED TO A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. SO, I HOPE WE CAN FIND A

BIPARTISAN PATH FORWARD ON THAT ISSUE, AS WELL.

I THINK YOU ARE HAVING A HEARING NEXT WEEK ON.

TO STOP THE VERY YEAR HARM TO OUR COUNTRY AND DEMOCRACY UNDER

THE CURRENT LAWS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE

DISCUSSION TODAY AS WE CONTINUE TO BRING ACCOUNTABILITY TO BIG

TECH. LET ME SAY TO MR. CHEW, I KNOW

THAT THIS IS ABOUT TIKTOK. I AM FOCUSING ALL OF MY

ATTENTION, NOT ONLY ON TIKTOK, BUT ON THESE WIND CONCERNS

ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA. AND THE PROTECTION OF PRIVACY.

WITH THAT, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU, AGAIN, MADAM CHAIR

FOR HAVING THIS VERY IMPORTANT HEARING.

OUR WITNESS TODAY IS MR. SHOU CHEW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE

OFFICER OF TIKTOK. YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE

MINUTES. » THANK YOU.

CHAIR ROGERS, RANKING MEMBER PALLONE, MEMBERS OF THE

COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I AM SHOU CHEW AND I’M FROM SUING THE BORDER.

THAT IS WHERE I WAS BORN AS WELL AS MY PARENTS.

AFTER SERVING IN SINGAPORE’S MILITARY, I MOVED TO THE UK TO

ATTEND COLLEGE AND THEN HERE TO THE U.S. TO ATTEND BUSINESS

SCHOOL. I ACTUALLY MET MY WIFE HERE.

BY THE WAY, SHE WAS JUST BORN A FEW MILES AWAY FROM HERE IN

VIRGINIA. TWO YEARS AGO I BECAME THE CEO

OF TIKTOK. TODAY, WE HAVE MORE THAN A

BILLION MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS AROUND THE WORLD.

INCLUDING OVER 150 MILLION IN THE UNITED STATES.

OUR APP IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE CREATIVE AND CURIOUS.

WE’RE CLOSE TO 5 MILLION AMERICAN BUSINESSES, MOSTLY

SMALL BUSINESSES, GO TO FIND NEW CUSTOMERS AND TO FUEL THEIR

GROWTH. AS TIKTOK AS WELL, WE HAVE

TRIED TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF COMPANIES THAT HAVE COME BEFORE

US, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF TEENAGERS.

WHILE THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ON TIKTOK ARE OVER 18,

AND ONE OF OUR FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHICS ARE PEOPLE OVER

35. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ADOPTING

MEASURES TO PROTECT TEENAGERS. MANY OF THOSE MEASURES ARE

FIRST FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA INDUSTRY.

WE FORBID DIRECT MESSAGING FOR PEOPLE UNDER 16.

AND WE HAVE A 16 MINUTE WATCH TIME BY DEFAULT FOR THOSE UNDER

18. WE HAVE A SWEET A FAMILY PAYING

TOOLS SO THAT PARENTS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THEIR TEENS

EXPERIENCE, AND MAKE THE CHOICES THAT ARE RIGHT FOR

THEIR FAMILY. WE WANT TIKTOK TO BE A PLACE

WHERE TEENAGERS CAN COME TO LEARN, WHICH IS WHY WE RECENTLY

LAUNCHED A FEED THAT EXCLUSIVELY FEATURES

EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS ABOUT STEM. STEM VIDEOS ALREADY HAVE OVER

116 BILLION VIEWS ON TIKTOK. AND I THINK TECH TALK IS

INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION TO DISCOVER A PASSION FOR MATH AND

SCIENCE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT

NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE RAISED, THAT WE TAKE

VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY. LET ME START BY ADDRESSING A

FEW MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT BYTEDANCE, WHICH WE ARE A

SUBSIDIARY. BYTEDANCE IS NOT OWNED OR

CONTROLLED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

IT’S A PRIVATE COMPANY. 60% OF THE COMPANY IS OWNED BY

GLOBAL INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS. 20% IS OWNED BY THE FOUNDER AT

20% OWNED BY EMPLOYEES AROUND THE WORLD.

BYTEDANCE HAS FIVE BOARD MEMBERS, AND THREE OF THEM ARE

AMERICAN. YOU KNOW, TIKTOK ITSELF IS NOT

AVAILABLE IN MAINLAND CHINA. WE ARE HEADQUARTERED IN LOS

ANGELES AND IN SINGAPORE, AND WE HAVE 7000 EMPLOYEES IN THE

U.S. TODAY. STILL, WE HAVE HEARD IMPORTANT

CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR UNWANTED FOREIGN ACCESS TO

U.S. DATA, AND POTENTIAL MANIPULATION OF THE TIKTOK U.S.

ECOSYSTEM. OUR APPROACH HAS NEVER BEEN TO

DISMISS OR TRIVIALIZE ANY OF THESE CONCERNS.

WE HAVE ADDRESSED THEM WITH REAL ACTION.

NOW, THAT IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS,

BUILDING WHAT AMOUNTS TO A FIREWALL THAT SEALS OFF

PROTECTED U.S. USER DATA FROM UNAUTHORIZED FOREIGN ACCESS.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, AMERICAN DATA STORED ON

AMERICAN SOIL BY AN AMERICAN COMPANY OVERSEEN BY AMERICAN

PERSONNEL. WE CALL THIS INITIATIVE PROJECT

TEXAS. THAT IS WHERE ORACLE IS

HEADQUARTERED. TODAY, U.S. TIKTOK DATA IS

STORED BY DEFAULT IN ORACLE SERVICE.

ONLY VETTED PERSONNEL OPERATING IN A NEW COMPANY CALLED TIKTOK

U.S. DATA SECURITY CAN CONTROL ACCESS TO THIS DATA.

ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE PLANS FOR THIS COMPANY TO REPORT TO HIM

AND DEPENDED AMERICAN BOARD WITH STRONG SECURITY

CREDENTIALS. NOW, THERE IS STILL SOME WORK

TO DO. WE HAVE LEGACY U.S. DATA

SITTING IN OUR SERVICE IN VIRGINIA AND SINGAPORE.

WE ARE LEADING THOSE AND WE EXPECT THAT TO BE COMPLETE THIS

YEAR. WHEN THAT IS DONE, ALL

PROTECTED U.S. DATA WILL BE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF U.S.

LAW, AND UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE U.S. LED SECURITY TEAM.

THIS ELIMINATES THE CONCERN THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE SHARED

WITH ME, THAT TIKTOK USER DATA CAN BE SUBJECT TO CHINESE LAW.

THIS GOES FURTHER, BY THE WAY, THAT WHAT ANY OTHER COMPANY IN

OUR INDUSTRY HAS DONE. WE ALSO PROVIDE UNPRECEDENTED

TRANSPARENCY AND SECURITY FOR THE SOURCE CODE FOR THE TIKTOK

APP AND RECOMMENDATION ENGINE. THIRD-PARTY VALIDATORS LIKE

ORACLE AND OTHERS WILL REVIEW AND VALIDATE OUR SOURCE CODE

AND ALGORITHMS. THIS WILL HELP ENSURE THE

INTEGRITY OF THE CODE THAT POWERS WHAT AMERICANS SEE ON

OUR APP. WE WILL FURTHER PROVIDE ACCESS

TO RESEARCHERS, WHICH HELP THEM STUDY AND MONITOR OUR CONTENT

ECOSYSTEM. NOW, WE BELIEVE WE ARE THE ONLY,

THE ONLY COMPANY, THAT OFFERS THIS LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY.

TRUST IS ABOUT THE ACTIONS WE TAKE.

WE HAVE TO EARN THEIR TRUST WITH THE DECISIONS WE MAKE FOR

OUR COMPANY AND OUR PRODUCT. THE POTENTIAL SECURITY, PRIVACY,

CONTENT MANIPULATION CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT TIKTOK ARE REALLY

NOT UNIQUE TO US. THE SAME ISSUES APPLY TO OTHER

COMPANIES. WE BELIEVE WHAT IS NEEDED ARE

CLEAR TRANSPARENT RULES THAT APPLY BROADLY TO ALL TECH

COMPANIES. OWNERSHIP IS NOT AT THE GORE OF

ADDRESSING THESE CONCERNS. NOW, AS I CONCLUDE THERE ARE

MORE THAN 150 MILLION AMERICANS WHO LOVE OUR PLATFORM.

AND WE KNOW WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THEM.

THAT IS WHY I’M MAKING THE FOLLOWING COMMITMENTS TO YOU,

AND TO OTTAWA OR USERS. NUMBER ONE, WE WILL KEEP SAFETY,

PARTICULARLY FOR TEENAGERS, AS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US.

NUMBER TWO, WE WILL FIREWALL PROTECT THE U.S. DATA FROM

UNWANTED FOREIGN ACCESS. NUMBER THREE, TIKTOK WILL

REMAIN A PLACE FOR FREE EXPRESSION AND WILL NOT BE

MANIPULATED BY ANY GOVERNMENT. AND FOURTH, WE WILL BE

TRANSPARENT AND WE WILL GET ACCESS TO THIRD-PARTY

INDEPENDENT MONITORS WHO REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE –

TO REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR COMMITMENTS.

I WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE AND LOOK

FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AS YOU KNOW, THE TESTIMONY THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO GIVE IS

SUBJECT TO TITLE 18, SECTION 1001, OF THE UNITED STATES

CODE. AS YOU STATED IN YOUR TESTIMONY,

BYTEDANCE IS TIKTOK’S PARENT COMPANY.

IS IT ACCURATE TO SAY THAT YOU ARE IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION

WITH THE CEO OF BYTEDANCE? » CHAIR ROGERS, YES, I AM IN

COMMUNICATION WITH HIM. » THANK YOU.

KELLY JOHN IS THE CEO OF BYTEDANCE CHINA OVERSEEING –

THE CHINESE VERSION OF TIKTOK. ARE YOU IN CONTACT WITH KELLY?

I AM NOT IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH HER.

THE BYTEDANCE EDITOR IN CHIEF IS –

CORRECT? » I BELIEVE SO.

AND – IS BEIJING BIDEN’S TECHNOLOGY

BOARD MEMBER? ALSO IN OFFICIAL OF THE

CYBERSPACE ADMINISTRATION IN CHINA.

IS THIS CORRECT? » I BELIEVE SO.

WE ARE NOT IN DIRECT – » THANK YOU.

ALL THESE INDIVIDUALS WORK OR ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY AND ARE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS AT BYTEDANCE, A

COMPANY WHERE YOU PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL

OFFICER, AND WHERE YOU REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH

THEIR CEO. TIKTOK HAS TOLD US THAT YOU ARE

NOT SHARING DATA WITH THE CCP, WHAT LEAKED AUDIO FROM WITHIN

TIKTOK HAS PROVEN OTHERWISE. TIKTOK TOLD US THAT YOU WERE

NOT TRACKING THE GEOLOCATION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS.

YOU ARE. TIKTOK TOLD US YOU WERE NOT

SPYING ON JOURNALISTS. YOU WERE.

IN YOUR TESTIMONY, YOU STATE THAT BYTEDANCE IS NOT BEHOLDEN

TO THE CCP. AGAIN, EACH OF THE INDIVIDUALS

I LISTED ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

INCLUDING SONG COOPING, WHO WAS REPORTED TO BE THE COMMUNIST

PARTY SECRETARY OF BIDEN’S, AND HAS CALLED FOR THE –

TO TAKE THE LEAD ACROSS ALL PARTY LINES TO ENSURE THAT

ALGORITHM IS ENFORCED BY, QUOTE, CORRECT POLITICAL DIRECTION.

JUST THIS MORNING, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTED THAT

THE CCP IS OPPOSED TO A FORCED SALE OF TIKTOK BY BYTEDANCE,

QUOTING A CCP SPOKESMAN AS SAYING THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

WOULD MAKE A DECISION REGARDING ANY SALE OF TIKTOK.

SO THE CCP BELIEVES THEY HAVE THE FINAL SAY OVER YOUR

COMPANY. I HAVE ZERO CONFIDENCE IN YOUR

ASSERTION THAT BIDEN AND TIKTOK ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO THE CCP.

NEXT QUESTION. HEATING CONTENT IS A WAY OF

PROMOTING AND MODERATING CONTENT.

IN YOUR CART OR PREVIOUS POSITIONS WITHIN CHINESE

COMPANIES, HAVE EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN HEATING CONTENT FOR

USERS OUTSIDE OF CHINA? BREAK LIKELIEST, OR NO.

OUR HEATING PROCESS IS APPROVED BY OUR LOCAL TEAMS IN

THE VARIOUS COUNTRIES. » THE ANSWER IS YES, THANK

YOU. HAVE ANY MODERATION TOOLS BEEN

USED TO REMOVE CONTENT ON TIKTOK ASSOCIATED WITH THE

UYGHUR GENOCIDE? YES OR NO?

WE DO NOT REMOVE THAT KIND OF CONTENT.

TIKTOK IS A PLACE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

AS I SAID, IF YOU USE OUR APP, YOU CAN GO ON IT, AND YOU WILL

SEE A LOT OF USERS AROUND THE WORLD EXPRESSING CONCERN ON

THAT TOPIC AND MANY OTHERS. » THANK YOU.

WHAT ABOUT THE MASSACRE IN TIANANMEN SQUARE?

YES OR NO? » I’M SORRY, I DID NOT HEAR

THE QUESTION. » THE MASSACRE IN TIANANMEN

SQUARE. » THAT KIND OF CONTENT IS

AVAILABLE ON OUR PLATFORM. YOU CAN GO IN SEARCH IT.

I WILL REMIND YOU THAT MAKING FALSE OR MISLEADING

STATEMENTS TO CONGRESS IS A FEDERAL CRIME.

I UNDERSTAND. AGAIN, YOU CAN GO ON OUR

PLATFORM AND FIND THAT CONTENT. » OKAY, THANK YOU.

RECLAIMING MY TIME, CAN YOU SAY WITH ONE HUNTED PERCENT

CERTAINTY THAT BYTEDANCE OR THE CCP CANNOT USE YOUR COMPANY, OR

ITS DIVISIONS, TO MAKE CONTENT TO PROMOTE PRO CCP MESSAGES FOR

AN ACT OF AGGRESSION AGAINST TAIWAN?

WE DO NOT PROMOTE OR REMOVE CONTENT THE REQUEST OF THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT. » THE QUESTION IS ARE YOU ONE

HUNTED PERCENT CERTAIN THAT THEY CANNOT USE YOUR COMPANY TO

PROMOTE SUCH MESSAGES? » IT IS OUR COMMITMENT TO THIS

COMMITTEE AND ALL USERS THAT WE WILL KEEP THIS FREE.

FROM ANY MANIPULATION OF ANY GOVERNMENT.

IF YOU CAN’T SAY ONE HAD PERCENT CERTAIN, I TAKE THAT AS

A NO. AS I PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED,

TIKTOK SPIED AN AMERICAN JOURNALIST.

CAN YOU SAY WITH 100% BYTEDANCE THAT BIDEN OR OTHER EMPLOYEES

CAN TARGET AMERICANS WITH SIMILAR SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUES?

CHAIR ROGERS, FIRST OF ALL I DISAGREE WITH THE

CHARACTERIZATION THAT IS SPYING.

IT WAS AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION –

YES OR NO, CAN YOU DO SURVEILLANCE OF OTHER AMERICANS?

WE WILL PROTECT THE U.S. USER DATA AND FROM ALL FOREIGN

ACCESS IS A COMMITMENT WE’VE GIVEN TO THE COMMITTEE.

MY QUESTION I GUESS IS, I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY WITH ONE

HUNTED PERCENT CERTAINTY THAT NEITHER BYTEDANCE NOR TIKTOK

EMPLOYEES CAN TARGET OTHER AMERICANS WITH SIMILAR

SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUES AS YOU DID WITH THE JOURNALISTS.

AGAIN, I DISAGREE WITH THE CHARACTERIZATION OF

SURVEILLANCE. WE HAVE GIVEN OUR COMMITMENTS,

CHAIR ROGERS, THE FOUR COMMITMENTS, A COMMITMENT WE

WILL NOT BE INFLUENCED BY ANY GOVERNMENT ON DECISIONS.

THE DOJ IS INVESTIGATING THIS SURVEILLANCE RIGHT NOW.

TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WATCHING TODAY, HEAR THIS, TIKTOK IS A

WEAPON BY THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TO SPY ON YOU, MANIPULATE

WHAT YOU SEE, AND EXPLOITED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

A BAN IS ONLY SHORT TERM WAY TO ADDRESS TIKTOK, AND A DATA

PRIVACY BILL IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP TIKTOK FROM EVER HAPPENING

AGAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. I YIELD BACK.

I NOW YIELD TO THE RANKING MEMBER FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK, YOU MADAM CHAIR. LET ME JUST START OUT BY SAYING,

MR. CHEW, THAT I DON’T FIND WHAT YOU SUGGESTED WITH PROJECT

TEXAS AND THIS FIRE WALL THAT IS BEING SUGGESTED, TO WEBER,

WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO ME. IN OTHER WORDS, I STILL BELIEVE

THAT THE BEIJING COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT WILL STILL CONTROL

AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE WHAT YOU DO.

SO THIS IDEA THIS PROJECT TEXAS IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE.

ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT, TIKTOK IS ON TARGET TO MAKE

BETWEEN 15 AND 18 BILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE THIS YEAR.

IS THAT AN ACCURATE FORECAST? » CONGRESSMAN, AS A PRIVATE

COMPANY WE ARE NOT SHARING THAT PUBLICLY.

I WAS GOING TO SAY. HOW MUCH MONEY WILL TIKTOK MAKE

BY DELIVERING PERSONALIZED ADVERTISEMENTS TO YOUR USERS IN

THE UNITED STATES? CAN YOU GIVE ME THAT

INFORMATION? » AGAIN, CONGRESSMAN,

RESPECTFULLY, AS A PRIVATE COMPANY WE WILL NOT DISCLOSE

THAT. » OKAY, LOOK, THE IMPRESSION

YOU ARE GIVING, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE GIVING

THAT IMPRESSION, IS THAT YOU ARE JUST PERFORMING SOME KIND

OF PUBLIC SERVICE HERE. RIGHT?

I MEAN THIS IS A BENIGN COMPANY THAT IS JUST PERFORMING A

PUBLIC SERVICE. MAYBE THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU ARE

SAYING, BUT I DON’T BUY IT. RIGHT?

MY CONCERN HERE IS PRIMARILY ABOUT THE PRIVACY ISSUE.

THE FACT THAT TIKTOK IS MAKING ALL KINDS OF MONEY BY

COLLECTING AND GATHERING PRIVATE INFORMATION ABOUT

AMERICANS THAT THEY DON’T NEED FOR THEIR BUSINESS PURPOSES AND

THEN SELECT. I MENTIONED THIS LEGISLATION

THE CHAIR AND I HAVE, THAT WOULD MINIMIZE DATA COLLECTION,

AND MAKE IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR TIKTOK AND OTHER COMPANIES

TO DO THAT? IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SOME

COMMITMENTS TODAY, ONE ISSUE COMMITMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE

LEGISLATIONS? YOU ARE GOING TO TELL ME THE

BILL IS NOT PASSED, THEREFORE I DON’T HAVE TO DO IT, LET ME

KNOW YOU SAY YOU ARE BENIGN AND WANT TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR THE

PUBLIC. SO LET ME ASK YOU, WHAT ABOUT A

COMMITMENT THAT SAYS THAT YOU WON’T SELL THE DATA YOU COLLECT?

WOULD YOU COMMIT TO THAT, NOT SELLING THE DATA YOU COLLECTED?

CONGRESSMAN, I BELIEVE WE DON’T SELL DATA TO ANY DATA

BROKERS. » YOU DON’T SELL TO ANYONE?

WE DON’T SELL DATA TO DATA BROKERS.

I DID NOT ASK DATA BROKERS, I ASKED TO ANYONE?

IN OTHER WORDS, UNDER OUR BILL YOU CAN ONLY USE THE DATA FOR

YOUR OWN PURPOSES. NOT TO SELL IT TO ANYONE.

WOULD YOU COMMIT TO NOT SELLING THEIR DATA TO ANYONE?

CONGRESSMAN, I ACTUALLY AM IN SUPPORT OF SOME RULES.

I DID NOT ASK YOU WHETHER YOU WERE –

I ASKED YOU WHETHER THE COMPANY TIKTOK WOULD COMMIT TO NOT

SELLING ITS DATA TO ANYONE AND JUST USED FOR ITS OWN PURPOSES

INTERNALLY? » I CAN GET BACK YOU’RE ON THE

DETAILS. » OKAY, GET BACK TO ME.

ALL RIGHT, ANOTHER THING THAT IS IN OUR BILL SAYS THAT WE

WOULD PROHIBIT TARGETING MARKETING TO PEOPLE UNDER THE

AGE OF 17. WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO AGREE

TO PROHIBIT TARGETED MARKETING TO PEOPLE, AMERICANS UNDER THE

AGE OF 17? » CONGRESSMAN, WE HAVE

ACTUALLY STRICT RULES FOR ADVERTISERS IN TERMS OF WHAT

THEY CONSTITUTE – » DO YOU, WOULD YOU BE WILLING

TO PROHIBIT TARGETED MARKETING TO THOSE UNDER 17?

THAT IS WHAT IS IN OUR BILL. » I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE’S

SOME TALK AND LEGISLATION AROUND THE COUNTRY –

AGAIN, I WANTED YOU TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT WITHOUT THE

LEGISLATION SINCE YOU SAY YOU ARE A GOOD COMPANY AND WANT TO

DO GOOD THINGS. WHY NOT?

IT IS SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK INTO AND GET BACK TO YOU TOO.

OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY, WE ALSO HAVE AN HOUR BILL

A REQUIREMENT OF HEIGHTENED PROTECTION FOR SENSITIVE DATA.

IN PARTICULAR, LOCATION AND HEALTH DATA.

WOULD YOU COMMIT NOT GATHERING WORK DEALING WITH LOCATION OR

HEALTH DATA UNLESS YOU GET AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT FROM THE

CONSUMER? IN OTHER WORDS, UNDER OUR BILL

THOSE ARE CATEGORIZED AS SENSITIVE.

UNLESS THE PERSON SPECIFICALLY SAYS I WANT YOU TO COLLECT THAT

DATA, YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO, LOCATION AND HEALTH DATA.

WOULD YOU COMMIT TO THAT? » CONGRESSMAN, IN PRINCIPLE I

SUPPORT THAT. BY THE WAY, WE DO NOT COLLECT

PRECISE GPS DATA AT THIS POINT. AND I DO NOT BELIEVE WE COLLECT

ANY HEALTH DATA. » OKAY, SO YOU WOULD BE

WILLING TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT THAT FROM NOW WHAT YOU WANT

COLLECT LOCATION OR HEALTH DATA WITHOUT, YOU’RE SAYING AT ALL,

IS THAT RIGHT? » CONGRESSMAN, THIS IS DATA

THAT IS FREQUENTLY COLLECTED BY MANY OTHER COMPANIES.

I KNOW WHAT THEIR COMPANIES DO IT.

I DON’T THINK THEY SHOULD WITHOUT AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT.

YOU SAID YOU WANT TO BE A GOOD ACTOR.

SO WHY NOT MAKE THAT COMMITMENT TO ME TODAY?

WE ARE COMMITTED TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH OUR USERS

ABOUT WHAT WE COLLECT. I DON’T THINK WHAT WE COLLECT

– I DON’T BELIEVE WHAT WE COLLECT

IS MORE THAN OTHER PLAYERS. » MY PROBLEM HERE IS YOU ARE

TRYING TO GIVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE GOING

TO MOVE AWAY FROM BEIJING IN THE COMMUNIST PARTY.

YOU ARE TRYING TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE A GOOD

ACTOR. BUT THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE

WOULD SEEK TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS FOR NOT BEING MADE

TONIGHT. THEY ARE JUST NOT BEING MADE.

YOU WILL CONTINUE TO GATHER DATA, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SELL

DATA, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS AND

CONTINUE TO BE UNDER THE – OF THE GUNMAN’S PARTY THROUGH

YOUR, YOU KNOW, THE ORGANIZATION THAT OWNS YOU.

IN ANY CASE, THANK YOU, KRATOM CHAIR.

THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. WE NOW RECOGNIZE THE GENTLEMAN

FROM TEXAS, MR. BURGESS, FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MR. FOR CHEW JOINING US TODAY.

I THINK WE’VE HEARD YOU SAY MULTIPLE TIMES THAT TIKTOK IS

NOT A CHINESE COMPANY. THAT BYTEDANCE IS NOT A CHINESE

COMPANY. BUT ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE IN

TODAY’S WALL STREET JOURNAL, CHINA’S COMMERCE MINISTRY SAID

THURSDAY THAT A SALE OR DIVESTITURE OF TIKTOK WOULD

INVOLVE EXPORTING TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT. CONTINUING TO QUOTE, THE

RE-BOARDED EFFORTS BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WOULD SEVERELY

UNDERMINE GLOBAL INVESTORS AKON –

CONFIDENCE IN THE U.S. SAID A MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN.

IF THAT IS TRUE, CHINA WILL FIRMLY OPPOSE IT, SHE SAID,

REFERRING TO THE FORCED SALE. SO DESPITE YOUR ASSERTIONS TO

THE CONTRARY, CHINA CERTAINLY THINKS IT IS IN CONTROL OF

TIKTOK AND ITS SOFTWARE. IS THAT NOT CORRECT?

CONGRESSMAN, TIKTOK IS NOT AVAILABLE IN MAINLAND CHINA.

TODAY WE ARE HEADQUARTERED IN LOS ANGELES UNSINKABLE ARE, BUT

I’M NOT SAYING THAT THE FOUNDERS OF BYTEDANCE ARE NOT

CHINESE, NOR AM I SAYING THAT WE DON’T MAKE USE OF CHINESE

EMPLOYEES. JUST LIKE MANY OTHER COMPANIES

AROUND THE WORLD. WE DO USE THEIR EXPERTISE ON

SOME ENGINEERING PROJECTS. » ACCORDING TO A MINISTRY

SPOKESWOMAN, IT WOULD BE A DIVESTITURE OF EXPORTING

TECHNOLOGY FROM CHINA. SO AGAIN, CHINA THINKS THEY OWN

IT EVEN THOUGH YOU DO NOT. MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO

ENTER THIS INTO THE RECORD. » WITHOUT OBJECTION.

MR. CHEW, I WOULD NOT ASK YOU TO DISCUSS PRIVILEGED

ATTORNEY-CLIENT MATERIALS, BUT CAN ANYONE, ASIDE FROM YOUR

LAWYER, THIS IS YOU IN PREOPERATIONAL FOR TODAY’S

HEARING? » PREPARED FOR THIS HEARING

WITH MY TEAM HERE IN D.C.. » DID ANYONE AT BYTEDANCE

DIRECTLY PROVIDE HELP, INPUT, OR INSTRUCTION FOR YOUR

TESTIMONY TODAY? » CONGRESSMAN, THIS IS A VERY

HIGH-PROFILE HEARING. MY PHONE IS FULL OF

WELL-WISHERS, BUT I PREPARED FOR THIS HEARING WITH MY TEAM

HERE IN D.C.. » ARE YOU WILLING TO SHARE WHO

HELPED PREPARE YOU FOR THIS HEARING WITH THE COMMITTEE?

I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. » CAN YOU GUARANTEE NO ONE AT

BYTEDANCE HAD A ROLE IN PREPARING YOU FOR TODAY’S

HEARING? » LIKE I SAID, CONGRESSMAN,

THIS IS A HIGH-PROFILE HEARINGS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE SETTING ME

UNSOLICITED ADVICE, BUT ARE PREPARED FOR THIS HEARING WITH

MY TEAM HERE IN D.C.. » ARE THE ATTORNEYS

REPRESENTING TIKTOK ALSO REPRESENTING BYTEDANCE?

YES, I BELIEVE SO. » WHAT PERCENTAGE OF TIKTOK

REVENUE TO BYTEDANCE RETAIN? JUST GIVE ME A BALLPARK

ESTIMATE IF YOU DON’T PRECISELY KNOW.

CONGRESSMAN, LIKE I SAID AS A PRIVATE COMPANY WE ARE NOT

PREPARED TO DISCLOSE OUR FINANCIALS IN PUBLIC TODAY.

CAN WE ASK YOU TO GET BACK TO US WITH A BALLPARK?

NOT ASKING FOR THE PRECISE FIGURES, BUT SO THE COMMITTEE

CAN HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERCENTAGE OF TIKTOK

REVENUE THAT BYTEDANCE RETAINS. » I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.

RESPECTFULLY, AS A PRIVATE COMPANY WE WILL NOT DISCLOSE

OUR FINANCIALS TODAY. » PRIOR TO TODAY’S HEARING,

DID ANYONE AFFILIATED WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY DISCUSS

THIS HEARING WITH YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE ON TOP SENIOR

MANAGEMENT? »

CONGRESSMAN, SINCE I’VE BEEN CEO OF THIS COMPANY I HAVE NOT

HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY ITSELF?

HAVE ANY OF THOSE OFFICIALS DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU.

LIKE I SAID, I’VE NOT HAD ANY DISCUSSION WITH CHINESE

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. I DON’T KNOW THE POLITICAL

AFFILIATION OF EVERYBODY I SPEAK TO.

SO I CAN’T VERIFY THE STATEMENT.

LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

A FEW WEEKS AGO THIS COMMITTEE HAD A FIELD HEARING IN TEXAS

AND IT WAS ON THE ISSUE OF FENTANYL AND ILLEGAL

IMMIGRATION. ONE OF OUR WITNESSES, GRANTED

JUDGE, A 25 YEAR VETERAN BORDER PATROL AGENT, SAID ALL SOCIAL

MEDIA PLATFORMS PLAY A ROLE IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

IT’S ONE OF THE WAYS CARTELS ADVERTISE THEIR SERVICES

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND CONVINCE PEOPLE TO PUT

THEMSELVES IN THEIR HANDS AND COME TO THE UNITED STATES.

CARTELS ALL USE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS PHENOMENON?

ANY CONTENT THAT PROMOTES HUMAN ABUSE IS A VIOLATION OF

OUR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES. THAT DICTATES WHAT IS ALLOWED

AND NOT ALLOWED ON OUR PLATFORM.

WE WILL IDENTIFY AND REMOVE THEM FROM OUR PLATFORM.

IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF YOU SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEE

EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU HAVE REMOVED PEOPLE.

BECAUSE WHAT WE’VE HEARD AT THE HEARING IS THAT TIKTOK WAS ONE

OF THE PLATFORMS THAT RECRUITS ADOLESCENTS IN THE UNITED

STATES TO HELP WITH TRANSPORTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE

BEEN TRAFFICKED INTO THE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS CONTRABAND

SUBSTANCES. WOULD YOU HELP US WITH THAT,

UNDERSTANDING WHO YOU HAVE REMOVED FROM THE PLATFORM?

CONGRESSMAN, WE WILL BE DELIGHTED TO CHECK BACK WITH MY

TEAM AND GET BACK TO YEARS AND COLLABORATE.

I YIELD BACK. » THE GENTLEMAN’S TIME HAS

EXPIRED. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE LADY

FROM CALIFORNIA, MISS AS SHOE, FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN. MR. CHEW, THANK YOU FOR BEING

HERE TODAY. AS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, OUR

VERY FIRST AND TOP RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT

AND DEFEND. PROTECT AND DEFEND OUR

CONSTITUTION AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF OUR COUNTRY.

SO I VIEW THIS ENTIRE ISSUE, NOW THERE ARE MANY PARTS OF IT

THAT ARE NOT PART OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY IN MY VIEW,

BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.

SO IN EXAMINING TIKTOK BREAKING AWAY FROM BYTEDANCE, SO I WOULD

LIKE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND HOW A SEVERANCE

IN TERMS OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH BYTEDANCE, HOW USER DATA,

AMERICAN USER DATA, WOULD BE PROTECTED.

NOW, UNDER BEIJING’S SECURITY LAWS, ARTICLE SEVEN COMPELS

COMPANIES TO PROVIDE DATA. ARTICLE TEN MAKES THE REACH OF

THE LAW EXTRATERRITORIAL. THIS IS VERY CLEAR.

I DON’T NEED TO READ ALL OF IT INTO THE RECORD, BUT THOSE ARE

THE LAWS OF THE PRC. HOW DOES BYTEDANCE, HOW DOES

TIKTOK RATHER, 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 SEVEN, ARTICLE TEN, IN TERMS OF

USER DATA? » CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR

THE QUESTION. I’M GLAD YOU ASKED THIS.

AS I SAID IN MY OPENING STATEMENT, OUR PLAN IS TO MOVE

AMERICAN DATA TO BE STORED ON AMERICAN SOIL –

I UNDERSTAND THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU ARE

SIDESTEPPING, OR I HAVEN’T READ ANYTHING IN TERMS OF TIKTOK,

HOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY SAY, AND YOU’VE SPOKEN ABOUT IT IN YOUR

OPENING STATEMENT ABOUT A FIREWALL RELATIVE TO THE DATA.

BUT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS THAT DATA.

HOW CAN YOU PROMISE THAT THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA TO BE PROTECTED HERE?

CONGRESSWOMAN, I HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT HAS ACCESS TO THE DATA.

THEY HAVE NEVER ASKED US. WE HAVE NOT PROVIDED IT.

YOU KNOW WHAT? I FIND THAT ACTUALLY

PREPOSTEROUS. » I HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE OF

THIS HAPPENING. IN ORDER TO ASSURE EVERYBODY

HERE, AND ALL OUR USERS, OUR COMMITMENT IS TO MOVE THE DATA

INTO THE UNITED STATES TO BE STORED ON AMERICAN SOIL BY AN

AMERICAN COMPANY OVERSEEN BY AMERICAN PERSONNEL.

SO THE RISK WOULD BE SIMILAR TO ANY GOVERNMENT GOING TO

AMERICAN COMPANY ASKING FOR DATA.

WELL, I AM ONE WHO DOESN’T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS REALLY A

PRIVATE SECTOR IN CHINA. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR

NATIONAL LAW, AND SPECIFICALLY THESE TWO ARTICLES, ARTICLE

SEVEN AND ARTICLE TEN, THEY ARE VERY CLEAR.

SO I THINK THERE’S A REAL PROBLEM, A REAL PROBLEM

RELATIVE TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY ABOUT THE PROTECTION

OF THE USER DATA. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT TIKTOK,

THAT YOU HAVE SAID OR DONE ANYTHING, TO CONVINCE US THAT

THAT INFORMATION, THE PERSONAL INFORMATION OF 150 MILLION

AMERICANS, THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO GIVE

THAT UP. » CONGRESSWOMAN –

CAN YOU TELL ME WHO WRITES THE ALGORITHMS FOR TIKTOK?

TODAY, THE ALGORITHM THAT POWERS THE U.S. USER EXPERIENCE

IS RUNNING IN THE ORACLE CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE.

YES, INITIALLY THERE WERE PARTS OF THE SOURCE CODE, ESPECIALLY

IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAYOUT, THAT DOES NOT TOUCH THE USER

EXPERIENCE, THAT IS A COLLABORATIVE GLOBAL EFFORT

INCLUDING BUILT BY ENGINEERS IN CHINA.

JUST LIKE MANY OTHER COMPANIES BY THE WAY.

THE PHONE YOU USE, THE CAR YOU DRIVE, IT’S A GLOBAL

COLLABORATIVE. TODAY, THE BUSINESS SIDE, THE

MAIN PARTS OF THE CODE FOR TIKTOK, WAS WRITTEN BY TIKTOK

EMPLOYEES, AND CONGRESSWOMAN, WHAT WE ARE OFFERING IS

THIRD-PARTY MONITORING OF OUR SOURCE CODE.

I’M NOT AWARE OF ANY COMPANY, AMERICAN COMPANIES OR OTHERWISE,

THAT HAVE ACTUALLY DONE THAT. BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING WE WANT

TO GIVE YOU TRANSPARENCY AND RELY ON THIRD PARTIES TO MAKE

SURE THAT WE GIVE YOU ALL THE CONTENT WE NEED BY THE

EXPERIENCE. » WELL, MY TIME IS UP AND I

YIELD BACK. THANK YOU.

THE LADY YIELDS BACK. WE RECOGNIZE THE GENTLEMAN FROM

OHIO, MR. LATTA, FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UNLIKE THE CHINESE COMMUNIST

PARTY, THE UNITED STATES BELIEVES IN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM,

INNOVATION, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

THAT IS, IN PART, WHAT CONGRESS ENACTED SECTION 230 OF THE

COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT. OUR GOAL IS TO PROMOTE GROWTH

OF AN ONLINE ECOSYSTEM AND THE UNITED STATES, AND TO PROTECT

COMPANIES FROM BEING HELD LIABLE FOR GOOD FAITH EFFORTS

TO MODERATE THEIR PLATFORMS. LAST YEAR, A FEDERAL JUDGE IN

PENNSYLVANIA FOUND THAT SECTION 230 PROTECTED TIKTOK FROM BEING

HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF THE TEN YEAR OLD GIRL WHO

PARTICIPATED IN A BLACKOUT CHALLENGE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE

CHOKING CHALLENGE. TIKTOK ACTUALLY PUSH THE VIDEO

ON HER FEED. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS ONE OF

THE MANY DEVASTATING EXAMPLES THAT CHILDREN LOST THEIR LIVES

BECAUSE OF CONTENT PROMOTED BY TIKTOK.

SECTION 230 WAS NEVER INTENDED TO SHIELD COMPANIES LIKE YOURS

FROM AMPLIFYING DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING CONTENT TO

CHILDREN. DO YOU CONSIDER THIS A GOOD

FAITH MODERATION? » CONGRESSMAN, AS A FATHER

MYSELF WHEN I HEAR ABOUT THE TRAGIC DEATHS –

MY QUESTION, DO YOU FIND THAT GOOD FAITH MODERATION?

CONGRESSMAN, SECTION 230 IS A VERY COMPLEX –

YES OR NO? » WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON

SAFETY. » OKAY, I’M GOING TO –

DO YOU BELIEVE TIKTOK DESERVES THIS LIABILITY PROTECTION?

I’M SORRY, CONGRESSMAN? » DO YOU BELIEVE TIKTOK

DESERVES THIS LIABILITY PROTECTION UNDER SECTION 230?

CONGRESSMAN, AS YOU POINTED OUT 230 HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT

FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ON THE INTERNET.

IT’S ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS WE HAVE GIVEN TO THIS COMMITTEE

AND OUR USERS. I DO THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO

PRESERVE THAT, BUT COMPANIES SHOULD BE RAISING THE BAR FOR

SAFETY. I REALLY AGREE WITH THAT.

THE – WHEN YOU TOLD US AND REPEATED,

WE WILL KEEP SAFETY, PARTICULARLY FOR TEENAGERS, A

TOP PRIORITY FOR US. ARE YOU MAKING A FOLLOWING

COMMITMENT? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL

NOW TO MAKE THAT FOLLOWING COMMITMENT, NOT HAVING DONE IT

BEFORE, WHEN THIS TEN-YEAR-OLD LOST HER LIFE?

I’M REITERATING THE COMMITMENT AND ALL OF MY

PRIORITIES – » OKAY, THIS COMPANY IS A

PICTURE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS COMMITTEE AND CONGRESS

NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY AND AMEND SECTION

230. WHEN WE MET RECENTLY, I ASKED

YOU IF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY CAN DIRECTLY ACCESS USER

DATA AND YOU DID NOT HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER.

DID ANYONE FOLLOW UP? I WANT TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE IF

THIS ANSWER. HOW –

OUR EMPLOYEES AT BYTEDANCE SUBJECT TO CHINESE LAW,

INCLUDING THE 2017 NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE LAW, WHICH

REQUIRES ANY ORGANIZATION OR CITIZENS TO SUPPORT, ASSIST,

AND COOPERATE WITH STATE INTELLIGENCE WORK IN ACCORDANCE

WITH THE LAW? » LIKE MANY COMPANIES,

INCLUDING MANY AMERICAN COMPANIES, WE RELY ON A GLOBAL

WORKFORCE INCLUDING ENGINEERS AND CHINA.

YES OR NO? » AND THE PAST, YES.

IN THE PAST, YES. HOWEVER, WE ARE BUILDING

PROJECT TEXAS AND PROTECTING OH –

I’VE TAKING THAT AS A YES, BECAUSE AGAIN THE ARTICLE SEVEN

OF THE LAW WHICH I JUST SAID, IT SAYS IN ADDITION –

TO 2014 CAN DETER ESPIONAGE LAW STATES THAT, WHEN THE STATE

SECURITY ORGAN INVESTIGATES AND UNDERSTANDS THE SITUATION OF

ESPIONAGE, CAN COLLECT RELATIVE IT EVIDENCE FROM RELEVANT

ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. IT DOES NOT SAY MAY, IT’S A

SHELL, IT MAY NOT REFUSE. » YES OR NO?

DO ANY BYTEDANCE EMPLOYEES IN CHINA, INCLUDING ENGINEERS,

CURRENTLY HAVE ACCESS TO USER –

U.S. USER DATA? » TODAY, ALL U.S. USER DATA IS

STORED BY DEFAULT IN THE ORACLE CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS

IS CONTROLLED BY AMERICANS. » MANY EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS

KINDLY TO U.S. DATA? » CONGRESSMAN, I WOULD

APPRECIATE, THIS IS A COMPLEX TOPIC, TODAY OF DATA –

YES OR NO? IT’S NOT THAT COMPLEX.

YES OR NO, DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO USER DATA?

AFTER PROJECT TEXAS IS DONE, THE ANSWER IS NO.

TODAY, THERE IS STILL SOME DATA –

WE’VE HEARD ALREADY FROM THE WRITING MEMBERS THAT HE DOESN’T

REALLY SEE THAT PROJECT TEXAS IS GOING TO BE USEFUL.

SO I’M TAKING THAT AS A NO, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS,

IT CAME UP EARLIER, ON DECEMBER 22ND LAST YEAR, WHEN BIDEN’S

CONFIRMED SOME OF ITS CHINESE EMPLOYEES HAD ACCESS TO TIKTOK

DATA TO MONITOR AND TRACK THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF

JOURNALISTS. SO I TOOK THAT AS A YES.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, YOU POSTED A TIKTOK VIDEO ASKING AMERICAN

USERS TO MOBILIZE IN SUPPORT OF YOUR APP AND OPPOSE THE

POTENTIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT ACTION TO BAN TIKTOK FROM THE

UNITED STATES. BASED ON THE ESTABLISHED

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR COMPANY AND THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO CONCLUDE

THAT THE VIDEO IS ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN THE TYPE OF

PROPAGANDA THAT THE CCP REQUIRES CHINESE COMPANIES TO

PUSH ON ITS CITIZENS AND I YIELD BACK.

THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE LADY

FROM COLORADO, MRS. DEGETTE, FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

MR. CHEW, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE

INFLUENCE OF CHINA ON TIKTOK AND WHAT THAT DOES FOR U.S.

USERS. BUT I’M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT

HOW THE CONTENT IN TIKTOK IS BEING DISTRIBUTED, PARTICULARLY

TO YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT IS

UNIQUE TO TAKE STOCK, BUT TIKTOK HAS 150 MILLION USERS IN

THE UNITED STATES. AND SO, I THINK YOU WILL AGREE

THAT TIKTOK HAS A PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR

CONTENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SAFE AND ACCURATE.

WOULD THAT BE FAIR TO SAY? » YES, I AGREE WITH THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU SAID IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENT

THAT THERE IS A BAN, OR IT’S LIMITED FOR KIDS UNDER 13, AND

UNDER 18, AND SOMEONE. BUT I KNOW IT WON’T BE NEWS FOR

YOU THAT COMPUTER SAVVY KIDS ACTUALLY CAN BYPASS SOME OF

THOSE RESTRICTIONS. QUITE FREQUENTLY, AND THEY CAN

DO IT EVEN IF THEY HAVE PARENTAL OVERSIGHT.

SO WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU IS, RATHER THAN PUTTING THE BURDEN

ON YOUNG PEOPLE AND PARENTS WHO ACCURATELY PUT IN A

BREATHTAKING AND SOMEONE FOR REGISTERING PREDICTS TALK, I

WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT TIKTOK IN DO TO MAKE SURE TO MONITOR THIS

CONTACT? AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN

EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE STREAM CONTENT.

MR. LATTA TALKED ABOUT THE BLACKOUT CHALLENGE AND SOME OF

THE DANGERS TO YOUNG PEOPLE SAFETY, THERE’S ALSO EXTREME

CONTENT AROUND HEALTH CARE INFORMATION.

ONE STUDY SAID 13 OUT OF 20 RESULTS FOR THE QUESTION,

BECAUSE MCGUIRE DOES ABORTION, IT TALKED ABOUT HERBAL

SO-CALLED BOARDED THINGS LIKE PAPAYA SEEDS.

THAT DOESN’T WORK. AND SO IF PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR

INFORMATION ON SAFE ABORTIONS WENT ON TIKTOK, THEY COULD GET

DEVASTATINGLY INCORRECT INFORMATION.

ANOTHER STUDY SHOWED THAT TIKTOK WAS, HAD A

HYDROXYCHOLOROQUINE TO TOIL ON HOW FABRICATE THIS FROM

GRAPEFRUIT. NOW, THERE’S TWO PROBLEMS WITH

THAT. NUMBER ONE, HYDROXYCHOLOROQUINE

IS NOT EFFECTIVE IN TREATING COVID.

SO THAT IS ONE ISSUE. THE SECOND ISSUE IS YOU CAN’T

EVEN MAKE HYDROXYCHOLOROQUINE FROM GRAPEFRUIT.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS A REALLY SERIOUS MISCOMMUNICATION ABOUT

HEALTH CARE INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE LOOKING AT TIKTOK ARE

ABLE TO GET. AND IN FACT, IT’S BEING PUSHED

OUT TO THEM. SO I WANT TO KNOW FROM YOU, AND

I WILL GIVE YOU TIME TO ANSWER THIS, YOU HAVE CURRENT CONTROLS

‘S, WHAT THE CURRENT CONTROLS ARE NOT WORKING TO KEEP THIS

INFORMATION MAINLY FROM YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT FROM AMERICANS IN

GENERAL.

WHAT MORE IS TIKTOK DOING TO TRY TO STRENGTHEN ITS REVIEW,

TO KEEP THIS INFORMATION FROM COMING ACROSS TO PEOPLE?

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. THE DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION

THAT YOU MENTIONED IS NOT ALLOWED ON OUR PLATFORM.

IT VIOLATES THEM. » I’M SORRY TO REPORT IT IS ON

YOUR PLATFORM THOUGH. » CONGRESSWOMAN, I DON’T THINK

I CAN SIT HERE AND SAY THAT WE ARE PERFECT IN DOING THIS.

WE DO WORK VERY HARD. » SO HOW CAN YOU MAKE YOURSELF

MORE PERFECT? I DON’T WANT TO SAY IT’S NOT

THERE, OR YOU APOLOGIZE. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO LIMIT IT AS

MUCH AS POSSIBLE? MORE THAN WHAT YOU ARE DOING

THEM. » WE INVEST SIGNIFICANT

AMOUNTS IN OUR CONTENT MODERATION WORK.

I SHARE THAT NUMBER IN MY WRITTEN STATEMENT.

I KNOW YOU ARE INVESTING. » YES.

BUT WHAT STEPS ARE YOU TAKING TO IMPROVE THE WAY I, OR

WHATEVER ELSE YOU ARE DOING, TO LIMIT THIS CONTENT?

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU SEARCH FOR CERTAIN SEARCH TERMS, WE DO

DIRECT YOU ON TIKTOK TO RESOURCE, SAFETY RESOURCES.

THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE DONE.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THIS.

I RECOGNIZE, AND FULLY ALIGN WITH YOU, THAT THIS IS A

PROBLEM THAT FACES OUR INDUSTRY.

THAT WE REALLY NEED TO INVEST AND ADDRESS.

THIS I AM VERY IN ALIGNMENT. THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR USERS

COME TO OUR PLATFORM FOR ENTERTAIN –

ENTERTAINING AND SAFE CONTENT, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO

HAVE – TO SPOT SOME DANGEROUS

MISINFORMATION AND WE NEED TO TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.

WE NEED TO INVESTED IN IT AND PROACTIVELY IDENTIFY IT AND

REMOVE IT FROM OUR PLATFORM. » OKAY, I’M GOING TO STOP YOU

RIGHT NOW. I ASKED YOU SPECIFICALLY HOW

YOU WERE INCREASING, HOW YOU ARE TRYING TO INCREASE YOUR

REVIEW OF HIS, AND YOU GAVE ME ONLY GENERALIZED STATEMENTS

THAT YOU ARE INVESTING, THAT YOUR CONCERN, THAT YOU’RE DOING

WORK. THAT’S NOT ENOUGH FOR ME,

THAT’S NOT ENOUGH FOR THE PARENTS OF AMERICA.

I’M GOING TO ASK YOU TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR TESTIMONY AND

HAVE YOUR EXPERTS TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO MAKE THIS A

HIGHER LEVEL OF SCRUTINY, NOT JUST AT THE SAME.

THANK YOU AND I YIELD BACK. » THE LADY YIELDS BACK.

CHAIR RECOGNIZE THE GENTLEMAN FROM NORTH CAROLINA, MR. HUDSON,

FOR FIVE MINUTES. » THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN.

THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING.

I APPRECIATE THE WITNESS FOR MAKING HIMSELF AVAILABLE TODAY.

WHILE MANY CONSIDER TIKTOK TO BE JUST ANOTHER VIDEO SHARING

APP, AND REALITY TIKTOK HAS BEEN FUNCTIONING AS A MASSIVE

SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM. COLLECTING BEST SWATS OF

PERSONAL DATA FOR MORE THAN A BILLION PEOPLE OR OF WHAT.

THIS INCLUDES DATA FROM PERSONAL DEVICES OF FEDERAL

EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND MOST CONCERNING, U.S. MILITARY

SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN PLACES LIKE FORT

BRAGG NORTH CAROLINA. AS BREAKS CONGRESSMAN, I HAVE

SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TIKTOK GIVES THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TO ACCESS THE NON PUBLIC SENSITIVE

DATA ABOUT WHERE MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM.

THIS PERSONAL DATA AND LOCATION INFORMATION CAN BE HARVESTED,

AND COULD BE USED, FOR BLACKMAIL, ESPIONAGE, AND EVEN

REVEAL TRUMP MYTHS. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND

MOST AGENCIES HAVE BANNED TIKTOK ON GOVERNMENT ISSUED

DEVICES, I BELIEVE MOORE HAS TO BE DONE TO ERASE THE APP FROM

THE PERSONAL DEVICES. HAVING AN APP BANNED ON ADVICE

ON ONE POCKETBOOK, DOWNLOADED ON A DEVICE IN YOUR OTHER

POCKET DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME.

I BELIEVE CONGRESS SHOULD ADDRESS THE CONTINUED USE OF

TIKTOK IN MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS WELL AS

ANYTHING THAT DEPICTS U.S. MILITARY OPERATIONS.

DOES TIKTOK ACCESS THE HOME WI-FI NETWORK, MR. CHEW?

ONLY IF THE USER TURNS ON THE WI-FI.

I’M SORRY. I MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND THE

QUESTION. » IF I HAVE TIKTOK ON MY PHONE,

AND MY PHONE IS ON MY HOME NETWORK, DOES TIKTOK ACCESS THE

NETWORK? » IT WILL HAVE TO ACCESS THE

NETWORK TO GET CONNECTIONS TO THE INTERNET.

IF THAT’S THE QUESTION. » IS IT POSSIBLE THEN IT CAN

ACCESS OTHER DEVICES ON THAT HOME WI-FI NETWORK?

CONGRESSMAN, WE DO NOT DO ANYTHING THAT IS BEYOND ANY

INDUSTRY NORMS. I BELIEVE THE ANSWER TO YOUR

QUESTION IS NO. IT COULD BE TECHNICAL.

LET ME GET BACK TO YOU. » I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU

CAN ANSWER THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE

DIRECTION REAL QUICK. DO YOU RECEIVE PERSONAL

EMPLOYMENT SALARY COMPENSATION OR BENEFITS FROM BYTEDANCE?

YES, I DO. » WHAT’S YOUR SALARY FROM

BYTEDANCE? » CONGRESSMAN, IF YOU DON’T

MIND, I WOULD PREFER TO KEEP MY COMPENSATION PRIVATE.

OKAY. DO YOU PERSONALLY HAVE ANY

COMPANY SHARES OR STOP IN BYTEDANCE?

CONGRESSMAN, IF YOU DON’T MIND I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY

PERSONAL ANSWERS PRIVATE. » IT’S TIKTOK THE COMPANY YOUR

ONLY SOURCE OF EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATIONS?

WHERE IS YOUR OTHER SOURCE OF INCOME OUTSIDE OF TIKTOK?

IT’S MY ONLY SOURCE OF COMPENSATION.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FINANCIAL DEBT OR OBLIGATIONS TO

BYTEDANCE OR ANY OTHER AFFILIATED ENTITY?

PERSONALLY? NO, I DO NOT.

DOES YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM RECEIVE SEPARATE’S SALARY

COMPENSATION FROM BYTEDANCE? » WE RECEIVE SALARIES FROM THE

ENTITIES THAT WE ARE EMPLOYED IN, BUT WE SHARE EMPLOYEE STOCK

OPTION THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE TOP OF THE COMPANY.

SO YOUR PRIMARY SALARY COMES FROM TIKTOK, BUT YOU HAVE OTHER

COMPENSATION THAT COMES FROM DIRECTLY FROM BYTEDANCE?

YOU CAN CHARACTERIZE IT AS THAT, YES.

DOES YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM HAVE COMPANY SHARES OR STOP AND

BYTEDANCE? » YES.

SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE COMPENSATED WITH SHARES IN

BYTEDANCE. » THIS TIKTOK CHAIR

TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES WITH BYTEDANCE?

OR THE TWO TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS OR I.T. SYSTEMS CONNECTED IN

ANY WAY? » AS WITH MANY COMPANIES,

THERE ARE SHARED RESOURCES ON SOME SERVICES, BUT IT DOESN’T

INCLUDE. ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES U.S.

USER DATA, CONGRESSMAN, IS IN PROJECT TEXAS AS WE TALKED

ABOUT. IT’S STORED BY DEFAULT IN

AMERICAN SOIL BY AN AMERICAN COMPANY.

CURRENTLY, THERE’S SHERIFF TECHNOLOGY?

OR INTERCONNECTED I.T. SYSTEMS? » CONGRESSMAN, WITH RESPECT, I

WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU. THIS COULD BE A VERY BROAD

QUESTION. FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD ALL BE

USING MICROSOFT WINDOWS. » IF YOU COULD GET BACK WITH

DETAILS ON THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

CAN DORIAN PRISONER OR EMPLOYEES ACCESS TIKTOK USER

DATA? » NOT AFTER PROJECT TEXAS.

THIS IS NOT ALLOWED. » ARE THEIR EMPLOYEES THEY’RE

EMPLOYED BY BOTH COMPANIES? » I DO NOT BELIEVE SO.

OKAY. I DON’T BELIEVE SO?

AGAIN, I WILL ALLOW YOU TO COME BACK WITH A WRITTEN RESPONSE IF

YOU COULD GIVE ME – » » I WILL GO BACK AND CHECK

TO BE VERY SURE. » OKAY, THANK YOU.

I’M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT OUR CHAIRWOMAN

BROUGHT UP ABOUT AN APPARENT PATTERN OF MISREPRESENTATION

FROM YOUR COMPANY IN REGARDS TO THE MAT AND EXTENT OF DATA THAT

YOU ARE COLLECTING, AS WELL AS WHAT IS BEING ACCESSED FROM

WITHIN CHINA. THERE ARE DOZENS OF PUBLIC

REPORTS THAT – THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA

HAS BEEN ACCESSING DATA AND U.S. USERS CONTRADICTING

SEVERAL PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY PUBLIC –

TIKTOK EMPLOYEES. I’M REFERENCING PROJECT RAVEN,

WHICH WAS FIRST REPORTED ON BY FORBES LAST OCTOBER.

ANOTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED, I’M SORRY, I’M RUNNING OUT OF

TIME. DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT?

YES, CONGRESSMAN. WE DO NOT CONDONE AN EFFORT BY

CERTAIN FORMER EMPLOYEES TO ACCESS U.S. TIKTOK USER DATA IN

AN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY A SOURCE OF LEAKED CONFIDENTIAL

INFORMATION. WE CONDEMN THESE ACTIONS.

AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THEM, WE FOUND A HIGHLY REPUTABLE LAW

FIRM, THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT, WE TOOK SWIFT

DISCIPLINARY – ACTION AGAINST EMPLOYEES

INVOLVED, AND OUR IMPLEMENTING MEASURES TO MAKE SURE THIS

DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN. WE HAVE MADE THIS AVAILABLE TO

YOU. I THINK WE HAVE BRIEFED MANY OF

YOU EXTENSIVELY IN THE COMMITTEE.

I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU AS PART OF OUR

TRANSPARENT COMMITMENT. » THANK YOU.

MY TIME IS EXPIRED. I YIELD BACK.

THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE LADY

FROM ILLINOIS, THIS SCHAKOWSKY FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. SO TODAY, IN THE WALL STREET

JOURNAL, THEY SAID CHINA’S COMMERCE MINISTER SAID THAT

CHINA OPPOSES THE SALE OF TIKTOK BECAUSE IT WOULD INVOLVE

EXPORTING CHINA’S TECHNOLOGY AND WOULD, AND THIS IS THE

IMPORTANT PART, AND WOULD NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT. IT WE NEED TO BE APPROVED BY

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. SO ALL OF WHAT YOU’VE BEEN

SAYING ABOUT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TIKTOK AND CHINA HAS

BEEN SAID TO BE NOT TRUE.

IN THE PAPER TODAY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO

SAY IN RESPONSE. » CONGRESSWOMAN, I DO DISAGREE

WITH THE CHARACTERIZATION. WE HAVE DESIGN PROJECT TEXAS TO

PROTECT U.S. USER INTERESTS AND TO MOVE FORWARD HERE IN THE

U.S.. AGAIN, THE PROTECTION STRING

AMERICAN DATA ON AMERICAN SOIL BY AN AMERICAN COMPANY LOOKED

AFTER BY AMERICAN PERSONNEL. AND I DO NOT THINK THAT, YOU

KNOW, OUR COMMITMENTS TO THIS COMMITTEE AND ALL OUR USERS IS

IMPACTED BY ANY EVENT THAT YOU MENTIONED.

NOW, THE WHOLE DISCUSSION ON THIS RESOLUTION IS AN ONGOING

AND DEVELOPING EVENT. SO WE CONTINUE TO PAY ATTENTION

TO THIS AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU WHEN WE HAVE MORE

SPECIFICS. BUT MY COMMITMENT STANDS.

OKAY, IF IT’S AN ONGOING DEBATE APPARENTLY WITH CHINA,

SO IT’S HARD TO SAY WITH ANY CERTAINTY THAT CHINA WOULD NOT

HAVE ANY INFLUENCE, BUT LET ME ASK ANOTHER QUESTION.

LAST FALL, ALONG WITH – WHO IS CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR OF

THE SUBCOMMITTEE TOGETHER, WE WERE TOLD THAT TIKTOK HAD

SURVEILLED, WAS INVOLVED IN SURVEILLANCE, OF USERS VERY

PERSONAL INFORMATION. YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, NOT MORE

THAN ANY OTHER COMPANY. AND I AGREE WITH RANKING MEMBER

ALONE THAT I REALLY DON’T WANT TO GO BY THAT STANDARD IN

PARTICULAR. BUT THAT TIKTOK’S IN-APP

BROWSER SURVEILLED EVERYTHING FROM AMERICANS INCLUDING

PASSWORDS AND CREDIT CARD NUMBERS, ET CETERA.

I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU IF TIKTOK DID TRACK AND COLLECT

THIS SENSITIVE DATA, THAT AMERICANS DON’T WANT TO HAVE

DISCLOSED? » CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU.

I’M GLAD YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION BECAUSE, LIKE YOU

POINTED OUT, WE ACTUALLY DO NOT BELIEVE WE COLLECT MORE DATA

THAN ANY OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY OUT THERE.

A LOT OF THESE REPORTS, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHICH ONE

SPECIFICALLY YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT

THAT ACCURATE. SOME OF THEM WE HAVE ACTUALLY

GOTTEN IN CONTACT WITH THE AUTHORS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND

THE DATA THAT WE ARE COLLECTING.

A LOT OF IT IS SPECULATION. THIS IS SOMETHING THEY COULD

DO. THEY COULD DO.

WHAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUBTEXT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY

COMPANY COULD DO. » I’M RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

LET ME JUST SAY THAT IF TIKTOK CHOSE NOT TO TAKE THIS

SENSITIVE INFORMATION, THAT YOU DON’T NEED FOR TRANSACTION, AND

SUPPORT OUR COMPREHENSIVE PRIVACY BILL, THAT WOULD BE

VERY HELPFUL. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK.

SO REALLY, THIS IS A YES OR NO. THAT TIKTOK –

DOES TIKTOK SHARE USER INFORMATION FROM THE COMPANIES,

FROM PARENT COMPANY’S, FROM AFFILIATED, OR SEND USER

INFORMATION, TO OVERSEAS? » IN THE PAST, YES.

FOR INTER OPERABILITY PURPOSES. AFTER PROJECT TEXAS, ALL

PROTECTED U.S. DATA WILL BE STORED HERE WITH THE ACCESS

CONTROLLED BY A SPECIAL TEAM OF U.S. PERSONNEL.

AGAIN, CONGRESSWOMAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, AS FAR AS I

UNDERSTAND, NO OTHER COMPANY, INCLUDING AMERICAN COMPANIES,

ARE WILLING TO DO. SO MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT

WE CAN ASK THE INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE, NOT JUST US.

TO PROTECT U.S. USER DATA. » I WANT TO QUOTE FROM

EMPLOYEES THAT YOU HAD. HERE’S THE QUOTE.

EVERYTHING IS SEEN IN CHINA. THAT’S REALLY WHAT THEY SAID.

PEOPLE WHO WERE IN TOUCH WITH THE SENSITIVE DATA WERE SAYING

THAT. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?

I DISAGREE WITH THE STATEMENT.

I KNOW YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT, BUT MY POINT IS

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN, THAT EMPLOYEES OF THE COMPANY ARE

SAYING THAT IN FACT IS NOT TRUE? » I CANNOT SPEAK –

I DON’T KNOW WHO THIS PERSON IS, SO I DON’T KNOW –

I CAN’T SPEAK TO WHAT THAT PERSON HAS OR HAS NOT SAID.

WHAT I CAN SAY IS, BASED ON MY POSITION IN THIS COMPANY, AND

THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT I HAVE, THE STATEMENT IS JUST NOT TRUE.

OKAY. UNFORTUNATELY, AND I WILL CLOSE,

I GUESS I’M OVER MY TIME, WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THE FACTS OF

THIS AND SO DO YOU. AND I YIELD BACK.

GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE LADY

FROM FLORIDA, MS. CAMMACK, FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRWOMAN. MISTER CHEW, ARE YOU AWARE OF

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER XI JINPING’S COMMENTS IN 2021?

DURING A STUDY SESSION WHERE HE INSTRUCTED COLLEAGUES TO TARGET

DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, DIFFERENT AUDIENCES, WITH SHORT POMPEO?

ARE YOU AWARE OF THESE COMMENTS? YES OR NO?

CONGRESSWOMAN, I’M NOT AWARE OF THESE COMMENTS.

OKAY, AS WAS POINTED OUT BY CHAIRWOMAN RODGERS, YOU HAVE

REGULAR CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

SECRETARY, MR. ZINCVILLE PINK, WAS YOUR BOSS AT BYTEDANCE?

IS THAT CORRECT? » NO.

HE’S NEITHER MY BOSS NOR DO WE HAVE REGULAR CONTACT.

BUT YOU HAVE REGULAR CONTACT WITH BYTEDANCE?

WITH THE CEO OF FINANCE. » IS?

MR. ZEN PAIN IS THE EDITOR AND CHIEF.

MY COLLEAGUE REPRESENTATIVE BURGESS A FEW MINUTES AGO

EXPOSED THAT TIKTOK AND BYTEDANCE SHIRT LEGAL TEAMS.

YOU CONFIRMED THIS, CORRECT? » OUR GENERAL COUNSEL IS AN

AMERICAN LAWYER ALSO FOR MICROSOFT.

YOUR PARENT COMPANY, BYTEDANCE, CURRENTLY CONNECTS S

USER DATA. YES?

WE HAVE TO BE MORE SPECIFIC. » YES.

AFTER PROJECT EXCESS, NO. » I’M ASKING NOW.

YES? » SOME USER DATA IS PUBLIC

DATA, CONGRESSWOMAN. THAT MEANS EVERYBODY CAN SEE.

WHAT’S INTERESTING TO ME IS YOU’VE USED THE WORD

TRANSPARENCY OVER HALF A DOZEN TIMES IN YOUR OPENING TESTIMONY

AND SUBSEQUENTLY, AGAIN IN YOUR ANSWERS TO MY COLLEAGUES, YET

THE INTERESTING THING TO ME IS THAT BYTEDANCE, YOUR PARENT

COMPANY, HAS GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HIDE AND AIRBRUSH

CORPORATE STRUCTURE, TIES TO THE CCP, THE COMPANY’S FOUNDER

AND THEIR ACTIVITIES. YOU CAN LOOK NO FURTHER THAN

THE FACT BYTEDANCE WEBSITE HAS BEEN SCRUBBED.

IN FACT, WE FOUND WEB PAGES FROM THE BEIJING INTERNET

ASSOCIATION, THE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, CHARGED WITH

COMMUNIST PARTY BUILDING WORK OF INTERNET COMPANIES IN

BEIJING. THEY HAVE BEEN ARCHIVED BUT

SINCE DELETED, IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHY.

YES OR NO, BYTEDANCE IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A MEMBER OF

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE BOARD WITH VETO POWER?

IS THAT CORRECT? » NO, THAT IS NOT CORRECT.

BYTEDANCE OWNS SOME CHINESE BUSINESSES, AND YOU ARE TALKING

ABOUT A VERY SPECIAL SUBSIDIARY THAT IS POOR CHINESE BUSINESS

LICENSE – » I’M GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE

ON. YOU’VE SAID REPEATEDLY THERE IS

NO THREAT, THAT THIS IS A PLATFORM FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND

FOR FUN.

I HAVE TO ASK YOU, IF THERE IS NO THREAT TO AMERICANS, NO DEBT

TO OUR DATA, PRIVACY, SECURITY, THEN WHY DID IN AN INTERNAL

MEMO FROM TIKTOK, CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, EXPLICITLY COACH

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO, QUOTE, DOWNPLAY THE PARENT COMPANY

BYTEDANCE? WHY WOULD THEY SAY DOWNPLAY THE

CHINA ASSOCIATION AND DOWNPLAY THE A I?

THIS IS FROM AN INTERNAL MEMO FROM YOUR COMPANY.

WHY, IF YOU HAD NOTHING TO HIDE, WOULD YOU NEED TO DOWNPLAY THE

ASSOCIATION WITH BYTEDANCE AND CHINA?

CONGRESSWOMAN, I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MEMO.

YOU CAN’T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

MR. CHEW, I WOULD LIKE TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO SCREEN

FOR A SHORT VIDEO IF YOU DON’T MIND.

MR. CHEW, THAT VIDEO WAS POSTED 41 DAYS AGO.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT HAS CAPTIONED ME AS F.

AT THE HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE ON MARCH

23RD OF THIS YEAR, THIS VIDEO WAS POSTED BEFORE THIS HEARING

WAS PUBLICLY NOTICED. I THINK THAT’S A VERY

INTERESTING POINT TO RAISE. MORE CONCERNING IS THE FACT

THAT IT NAMES THIS CHAIRWOMAN BY NAME.

YOUR OWN COMMUNITY GUIDELINES STATE THAT YOU HAVE A FIRM

STANCE AGAINST ENABLING VIOLENCE ON OR OFF TIKTOK.

WE DO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE OUR PLATFORM TO THREATEN OR

INCITE VIOLENCE, WERE TO PROMOTE VIOLENT EXTREMIST

ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS OR FACTS.

WHEN THERE IS A THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY OR AN ACCOUNT IS

USED TO PROMOTE OR GLORIFY OFF PLATFORM VIOLENCE, WE BANNED

THE ACCOUNT. THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN UP FOR 41

DAYS. IT IS A DIRECT THREAT TO THE

CHAIRWOMAN OF THIS COMMITTEE, THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, AND

YET IT STILL REMAINS ON THE PLATFORM, AND YOU EXPECT US TO

BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING THE DATA PRIVACY

AND SECURITY OF 150 MILLION AMERICANS?

YOU CAN’T EVEN PROTECT THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.

I THINK THAT’S A BLATANT DISPLAY OF HOW VULNERABLE

PEOPLE WHO USE TIKTOK ARE. YOU CANNOT TAKE ACTION AFTER 41

DAYS WHEN A CLEAR THREAT, A VERY VIOLENT THREAT, TO THE

CHAIRWOMAN OF THIS COMMITTEE AND MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE

WAS POSTED ON YOUR PLATFORM. YOU DARN WELL KNOW THAT YOU

CANNOT PROTECT THE DATA AND SECURITY OF THIS COMMITTEE, OR

THE 150 MILLION USERS OF YOUR APP, BECAUSE IT’S AN EXTENSION

OF THE CCP. WITH THAT I YIELD BACK.

CAN I RESPOND? TO?

NO, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON. THE GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.

THE CHAIRMAN RECOGNIZES THE LADY FROM CALIFORNIA, MISS –

FOR FIVE MINUTES. » THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM

CHAIR. I’M REALLY GLAD THAT WE ARE

HAVING THIS VERY IMPORTANT HEARING HERE TODAY.

LET ME JUST SAY, MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTS A REAL AND IMMEDIATE THREAT.

LOOK NO FURTHER THAN EVEN THE VULNERABLE IN OUR TELECOMS

NETWORKS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED.

BUT WE CANNOT LOSE SIGHT OF AN IMPORTANT INTERNET GOVERNANCE

ISSUES TIKTOK AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES REPRESENT.

I AM ESPECIALLY COMMITTED TO THE TRANSPARENCY FROM LARGE

PLATFORMS ABOUT THE ALGORITHMS THAT SHAPED OUR ONLINE

INTERACTIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR TEENAGERS AND YOUNG USERS.

THAT IS WHY I INTRODUCED THE ALGORITHMIC JUSTICE AND ONLINE

PLATFORM TRANSPARENCY ACT TO BRING GREATER VISIBILITY INTO

THIS ECOSYSTEM. MY BILL WOULD REQUIRE TO

PROHIBIT ALGORITHMS THAT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF

AGE, RACE, GENDER, ABILITY, AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS.

IT ALSO WOULD ESTABLISH A SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS

STANDARDS FOR ALGORITHMS, REQUIRING NEW FORMS OF

OVERSIGHT. NOW, THIS BILL WOULD REQUIRE

ONLINE PLATFORMS TO PUBLIC – PUBLISH ANNUAL PUBLIC REPORTS

DETAILING THEIR CONTENT MODERATION PRACTICES.

I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE A BASELINE REQUIREMENT TO ENABLE

MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT. AND CONSUMER CHOICE.

MR. CHEW, JUST YES OR NO, DO YOU BELIEVE A REQUIREMENT FOR

ANNUAL CONTENT MODERATION PRACTICES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

PLATFORMS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL? YES OR NO?

YES. » THIS TRANSPARENCY BILL WOULD

ALSO REQUIRE ONLINE PLATFORMS TO MAINTAIN DETAILED RECORDS

DESCRIBING THEIR ALGORITHMIC PROCESS WILL REVIEW BY THE

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, IN COMPLIANCE WITH KEY PRIVACY AND

DATA IDENTIFICATION STANDARDS. MR. CHEW, THIS TIKTOK CURRENTLY

MAINTAIN RECORDS DESCRIBING THEIR ALGORITHMIC PROCESSES?

YES OR NO? » CONGRESSWOMAN, I WOULD NEED

TO CHECK AND GET BACK TO YOU ON WHAT KIND OF SPECIFIC RECORDS

YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. » I WILL WAIT FOR THAT.

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, ALARMING INFORMATION BROUGHT TO

LIGHT BY WHISTLEBLOWERS HAVE SHOWN THAT SOCIAL MEDIA

COMPANIES ARE INTIMATELY AWARE OF THE EFFECT THEIR PRODUCTS ON

YOUNG WOMEN, POLITICAL EXTREMISM, AND MORE.

DESPITE THIS, THEY HAVE WITHHELD THOSE STUDIES OR

DECLINED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER.

IN EITHER CASE, IT SHOWS A PATTERN OF THE THEY SUPPORT

NEGLIGENT BEHAVIOR THAT I FIND CONCERNING AND EXTREME.

MR. CHEW, DOES TIKTOK CONDUCT ITS OWN STUDIES ON THE

AFFECTIVE OF ITS ALGORITHMS IN CONTENT DISTRIBUTION MODELS ON

MENTAL HEALTH OR SAFETY? AND IF SO, HOW AND WHEN ARE

THOSE FINDINGS MADE PUBLIC? AND IF NOT, DO YOU BELIEVE THEY

ARE NECESSARY? » CONGRESSWOMAN, WE RELY ON

EXTERNAL THIRD PARTIES AND FUND THEIR RESEARCH TO HELP US

UNDERSTAND SOME OF THESE ISSUES.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE WORK WITH A DIGITAL WELLNESS LAB AT THE

BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO UNDERSTAND THE 60 MINUTE TIME

LIMIT THAT WE PUT FOR ALL OF OUR UNDER 18 USERS.

AND WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDES MORE

FUNDING FOR RESEARCH, FOR EXAMPLE FOR THE NIH.

OKAY. TIKTOK TAILORS ITS RECOMMENDED

CONTENT BASED ON USER ACTIVITY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SPEND

MORE TIME ON THE APP. WHILE THE PRACTICE IS BY NO

MEANS UNIQUE TO TIKTOK, GIVEN THE PREVALENCE OF YOUNG USERS

AND THE DIGESTIBLE NATURE OF THE SHORT FORM VIDEO, I AM

CONCERNED ABOUT THE APPS TENDENCY TO EXACERBATE EXISTING

MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. MR. CHEW, DOES TIKTOK HAVE

DIFFERENT POLICIES FOR AMPLIFYING CONTACT THAT WOULD

BE RELATED TO DEPRESSION OR DIETING VERSUS CONTENT LIKE

GARDENING AND SPORTS? IF YES, DESCRIBED THE POLICY

DIFFERENCES. IF NO, WHY NOT?

CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR THIS.

IT IS A GREAT QUESTION. THE ANSWER IS YES, WE ARE

TRYING OUT SOME POLICIES TOGETHER WITH EXPERTS TO

UNDERSTAND CONTENT THAT IS NOT INHERENTLY HARMFUL.

EXTREME FITNESS FOR EXAMPLE SHOULD NOT BE SEEN TOO MUCH.

THESE ARE MODELS THAT WE ARE BUILDING AND WE ARE TRYING TO

UNDERSTAND, TOGETHER WITH EXPERTS, HOW TO BEST IMPLEMENT

THEM ACROSS OUR PLATFORM, AND PARTICULAR FOR YOUNGER USERS.

SO IN CASES WHERE USERS HAVE BEEN ENGAGING WITH POTENTIALLY

HARMFUL CONTENT, I BELIEVE IT’S IMPERATIVE THAT THE APP TAKES

STEPS TO MODERATE THAT BEHAVIOR, RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO

PROMOTE. THAT MEANS, IN A SENSE –

I APOLOGIZE. I WASN’T CLEAR.

FIRST, ANYTHING THAT IS HARMFUL, WE REMOVE.

WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS, CONTENT THAT IS NOT INHERENTLY

HARMFUL, LIKE SOME OF THE EXTREME FITNESS VIDEOS ABOUT

PEOPLE RUNNING 100 MILES, AND IT’S NOT INHERENTLY, HARMFUL

BUT IF WE SHOW THEM TOO MUCH, THE EXPERTS ARE TELLING US THAT

THAT WE SHOULD DISPERSE THEM, MORE AND SURE THEY’RE NOT SEEN

TOO REGULARLY. ESPECIALLY BY YOUNGER UNITS.

SO YOUR INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT THAT.

IT’S SOMETHING YOUR – » OR WORKING ON.

IT » YOU ARE WORKING ON IT. I YIELD BACK.

JENNY, GENTLE LADY YIELDS BACK.

GENTLEMAN HAS – A SUPER BOWL RAUCOUS FROM

FLORIDA, FIVE MINUTES. » APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH,

THANKS FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING. PRIORITIZE PROVIDING HARMFUL

CONTENT DIRECTLY TO CHILDREN, LIKE SELF HARM CHALLENGES AND

EVEN SUICIDE. JUST THREE DAYS AGO, ITALY

OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO TIKTOK OVER USER SAFETY

CONCERNS AFTER THE SO-CALLED FRENCH’S CAR CHALLENGE WENT

VIRAL ON YOUR PLATFORM. MY NO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE

WIPEOUT CHALLENGE, WHICH OTHERS MAY KNOW AS THE CHOKING

CHALLENGE THAT ENCOURAGES CHILDREN TO BRING THEM TO THE

POINT OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS. IN SOME CASES, TRAGICALLY,

DEATH. IF THE IS NOT ENOUGH, I WANT TO

SHARE THE STORY OF CHASE NOSTALGIA.

16-YEAR-OLD BOY FROM NEW YORK, WHO TRAGICALLY ENDED HIS LIFE A

YEAR AGO BY STEPPING IN FRONT OF A TRAIN.

I WANTED TO THANK HIS PARENTS, THEY ARE HERE, I WANT TO THANK

HIS PARENTS FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND ALLOWING US TO SHOW

THIS. MR. CHU, YOUR COMPANY DESTROYED

THEIR LIVES. YOUR COMPANY DESTROYED THEIR

LIVES. I ADMIRE THEIR COURAGE TO BE

HERE AND SHARE CHASES STORY IN THE HOPES THAT IT WILL PREVENT

THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER FAMILIES.

THE CONTENTS AND CHASES FOR YOU PAGE WAS NOT A WINDOW TO

DISCOVERY, AS YOU BOLDLY CLAIM IN YOUR TESTIMONY.

IT WASN’T CONTENT FROM A CREATOR THAT YOU INVITED TO

ROAM THE HILL TODAY, OR STAND EDUCATION CONTENT TO CHILDREN

IN CHINA SEE. INSTEAD, HIS FOR YOU PAGE WAS

SADLY A WINDOW TO DISCOVER SUICIDE.

IT IS UNACCEPTABLE, SIR, THAT EVEN AFTER KNOWING ALL THESE

DANGERS, YOU STILL CLAIM TIKTOK IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD.

I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT CHASE WOODSY.

I THINK THAT IF YOU, AGAIN, WOULD YOU SHARE THIS CONTENTS

WITH YOUR CHILDREN? WITH YOUR TWO CHILDREN?

WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO SEE THIS? AGAIN, I WANT TO WARN EVERYONE

WATCHING, YOU MAY FIND THIS CONTENT DISTURBING.

WE NEED TO WATCH THIS, PLEASE. » STEP.

YOU GOTTA KILL YOURSELF. » A WORD –

LIKE RIGHT NOW? » I’M GONNA BLOW A SHOTGUN IN

TO MY HEAD. » COOL.

♪ ♪ ♪ » THIS IS A CUTE STORY.

MY BROTHER, WHO WAS ADDICTED TO PAINKILLERS, LOUIS HAD OFF ON

THE BRIDGE. BAN.

NOW HOLD ON, IT GETS BETTER. NO LETTER, NO GOODBYE, NOTHING.

IF I, DAD WOULD YOU MISS ME? » MR. CHU, MR. CHU, PLEASE.

YOUR TECHNOLOGY IS LITERALLY LEADING TO DEATH.

MR. CHU, YES OR NO, DO YOU TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOU OR

ALGORITHMS USED BY TIKTOK TO PRIORITIZE CONTENT TO ITS USERS?

YES OR NO, PLEASE. » CONGRESSMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO,

RESPECTFULLY, IF YOU DON’T MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING,

IT’S DEVASTATING TO HEAR ABOUT THE NEWS –

THIS IS TRAGIC. » YES OR NO.

HOW REPEAT THE QUESTION. DO YOU HAVE FORCE PONCE

BILLET-Y OVER THE ALGORITHMS USED BY TIKTOK TO PRIORITIZE

CONTENT TO ITS USERS, YES OR NO, PLEASE.

CONGRESSMAN, WE DO TAKE THESE ISSUES VERY SERIOUSLY.

YES OR NO? » WE DO PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR

ANYONE WHO TYPES – » SIR, YES OR NO?

I SEE YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

OR TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PARENT COMPANY’S

TECHNOLOGY AND THE HARMS IT CREATES.

IT’S JUST VERY SAD. VERY SAD.

IT IS VERY SAD. » THIS IS WHY CONGRESS NEEDS

TO ENACT A COMPREHENSIVE DATA SECURITY LAW TO GIVE AMERICANS

MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR INFORMATION, AND TO PROTECT OUR

CHILDREN. WE MUST SAVE OUR CHILDREN.

FROM BIG TECH COMPANIES, LIKE YOURS, WHO CONTINUE TO USE HIM

MANIPULATE THEM FOR YOUR OWN GAIN.

AND NOW YIELD BACK. MADAM CHAIR.

GENTLEMAN YEARS BACK. CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE LADY FROM

FLORIDA. YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. COLLEAGUES, IT IS URGENT THAT

THE CONGRESS PASS AND ONLINE DATA PRIVACY LAW THAT PROTECTS

THE PERSONAL PRIVACY OF AMERICANS ONLINE, AND

PARTICULARLY OUR KIDS. WHILE THE SYRIAN SHINES A LIGHT

ON TIKTOK, THIS HEARING ALSO SHOULD SERVE AS A CALL TO

ACTION FOR THE CONGRESS TO ACT NOW TO PROTECT AMERICANS FROM

SURVEILLANCE, TRACKING, PERSONAL DATA GATHERING, AN

ADDICTIVE ALGORITHMIC OPERATIONS THAT SERVE UP

HARMFUL CONTENTS AND HAS A CORROSIVE EFFECT ON OUR KIDS

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. FOR MANY YEARS THAT SOUNDED THE

ALARM ON THIS COMMITTEE ON HOW BIG TECH PLATFORMS LIKE TIKTOK

AND FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM INCESSANTLY SURVEIL, TRACK,

GATHER PERSONAL PRIVATE INFORMATION, AND USE IT ALONG

WITH DATA BROKERS TO TARGETS AND INFLUENCE OUR BEHAVIOR.

THIS IS A MUCH BROADER ISSUE THEN TIKTOK IN CHINA.

THERE ARE OTHER MALIGNED ACTORS A ROUND THE WORLD TO GATHER

DATA TO USE IT AS AN ELEMENT OF SOCIAL CONTROL, AND INFLUENCE.

AS I DETAILED IN THIS COMMITTEE LAST YEAR, WHEN WE PASS THE

ONLINE PRIVACY LAW, THE HARMS TO CHILDREN ARE VERY SERIOUS.

THEY DEMAND SWIFT ACTION. BIG TECH PLATFORMS PROFIT

IMMENSELY FROM KEEPING CHILDREN EJECTED.

THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE PRIVACY, SAFETY, AND HEALTH OF

OUR KIDS. THEY ARE THE MODERN-DAY TOBACCO

AND CIGARETTES COMPANIES THAT FOR SO LONG RESISTED, AND

MISLED CONGRESS. IT TOOK THE CONGRESS, IT TOOK

ACTION BY THE CONGRESS TO ACTUALLY PROTECT OUR KIDS, AND

OUTLAW SMOKING BY YOUNG PEOPLE. AND EARLY 2020, BASED UPON THE

GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE TO HARM OF KIDS ONLINE, I

INTRODUCE THE KIDS PRIVACY ACT, AND THE KIDS ACT.

I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE RESEARCHERS, THE YOUNG PEOPLE,

THE PARENTS, THE SURGEON GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES

WHO HAVE EXPLAINED THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOCIAL

MEDIA USAGE AND BODY DISSATISFACTION, DISORDERED

EATING HABITS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SELF INJURY,

SUICIDE, IDEATION, AND CYBERBULLYING.

HECK, FRANCIS, – THE FACEBOOK WHISTLE BLOWER WAS

RIGHT HERE TO TESTIFY TO US THAT FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC.

THEY KNEW AND UNDERSTOOD THE HARMS, BUT THEY CONTINUE TO

ELEVATE PROFITS OVER THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN.

TIKTOK DOES THE SAME. LAST CONGRESS WE PASS THE ATP P

A, THE COMMITTEE INCORPORATED. MANY OF THESE IMPORTANT ONLINE

PRIVACY AND SAFETY PROVISIONS FOR MY BILLS.

WE CAN MAKE THE 118TH CONGRESSES VIRGIN OF THIS BILL,

OF THIS NEW LAW, EVEN MORE PROTECTIVE OF CHILDREN, I LOOK

FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CHAIR AND THE RANKING MEMBER TO

MAKE THAT HAPPEN. MR. CHU, TIKTOK HAS INCREDIBLE

SWAY OVER CHILDREN IN THE U.S.. YOU DON’T HAVE A VERY GOOD

TRACK RECORD. IN 2019, TIKTOK WAS HIT WITH

THE LARGEST CIVIL PENALTY BY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION IN

THE CHILDREN’S PRIVACY CASE. FOUR YEARS LATER, TIKTOK STILL

HAS NOT TAKEN SUFFICIENT ACTION TO FIX THE PROBLEMS.

I ASSUME BECAUSE CHILD USERS ARE INCREDIBLY PROFITABLE TO

YOUR BOTTOM LINE. SO ANSWER ME THIS.

TIKTOK ALLOWS ADVERTISERS TO SPECIFICALLY TARGET ADVERTISING

TO CHILDREN AGES 13 TO 17, CORRECT?

CONGRESSWOMAN, I DO WANT TO DISAGREE WITH THE STATEMENT.

CHILD A – THAT’S DEPLORABLE.

IT’S NOT A LOT ON OUR PLATFORM. » IN ADVERTISING, TO YOUNG

PEOPLE FROM AGE 13 TO 17 – » WE DO SERVE PERSONALIZED

ADVERTISING AT THIS POINT. THE POLICIES ARE VERY SAFE.

HOW MUCH MONEY DOES TIKTOK MAKE SELLING ADS TARGETING TO

MINORS? » CONGRESSWOMAN, CAN I CLARIFY

MINUS AND AT WHAT AGE? » SAY AGE 13 17.

FOR THE TEENAGE POPULATION, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT WE DO

HAVE A 13, AN UNDER 13 EXPERIENCE.

THERE IS YOUR ADVERTISING ON THE PLATFORM.

FOR THOSE – » WELL THAT’S A WHOLE OTHER

TOPIC. » BETWEEN 13 AND 17, IF YOU

DON’T MIND, I’LL CHECK WITH MY TEAM AND GET BACK TO YOU ON

THOSE ANSWERS. » TIKTOK COULD BE DESIGNED TO

MINIMIZE THE HARM TO KIDS, BUT A DECISION WAS MADE TO

AGGRESSIVELY ADDICT KIDS IN THE NAME OF PROPHETS.

IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY, MEMBERS, TO ACT SWIFTLY TO

ADDRESS THIS. THIS IS GONE ON FOR TOO LONG.

WE’VE DELETE DOLLEY TOO MUCH. THIS COMMITTEE, THANKFULLY, IS

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT

SWIFTLY, AND GET THIS BILL TO THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE, AND

PASSED INTO LAW. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THANK, YOU I YIELD BACK. » GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.

– IT RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN

FROM. OHIO –

THANK, YOU MADAM CHAIR. MR. CHU, I’M AN INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL IN DOING THIS MOST OF MY LIFE.

YOU’VE BEEN INVASIVE IN MANY OF YOUR ANSWERS, I WANT TO TALK TO

YOU IN SOME LANGUAGE THAT MAYBE FEEL BETTER UNDERSTANDS.

ONE ZEROES. OKAY?

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CITIZEN LAB REPORT.

THIS IS SOMETHING YOUR TEAM FREQUENTLY MENTIONS ABOUT A

FULLER THEY SHUNS THAT CRAB WE COULD NOT –

AND EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. WHICH MEANS OUR METHODS COULD

NOT FIND EVERY SECURITY ISSUE AND PRIVACY VIOLATION AND

CENSORSHIP EVENTS. SO IT’S AN INCOMPLETE

ASSESSMENT. THE REPORT NOTES THAT TIKTOK’S

DATA COLLECTION USING THIRD-PARTY TRACKERS WAS AN

APPARENT CONFLICT WITH THE GDP ARM, AND THEY HAD MULTIPLE

THEMES WERE CENSORED BY TIKTOK. WHAT IS SHOCKING TO ME IS THE

SHARED SOURCE CODE BETWEEN TIKTOK AND THE UNITED STATES,

AND THE CCP CENTER. THE SCIENTISTS AND LAB REPORTS

THAT MANY OF THE FUNCTIONS WERE IDENTICAL, THAT THE DIFFERENCES

AND BEHAVIOR BETWEEN TIKTOK IN THE UNITED STATES, IN THOSE AND

CHINA, ARE SLIGHT CHANGES IN THE HARD COATED VALUES.

INCREDIBLY, SPECIFIC CENSORSHIP PARAMETERS FROM –

OUR PRESIDENT TIKTOK. THEY’RE TURNED OFF.

THE AUTHORS SAY THAT FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, THE PARAMETER

VARIABLE ITSELF IS PRESERVED. SO WHILE CITIZEN LAB MAY HAVE

BEEN AFRAID TO SAY THE OBVIOUS CONCLUSION, MR. CHU, I AM NOT.

TIKTOK SOURCE CODE IS RIDDLED WITH BACK DOORS AND CCP

CENSORSHIP DEVICES. HERE’S THE TRUTH, AND 1 MILLION

LINES OF CODE, THIS SMALL-ISH SHIFT FROM A ZERO TO A ONE, ON

JUST ONE OF THOUSANDS OF VERSIONS OF TIKTOK ON THE

MARKETS, WHILE ON LOCK EXPLICIT CCP CENSORSHIP AND ACCESS TO

AMERICAN DATA. MR. CHU, OF CEO OF TIKTOK, WHY

HAVE YOU NOT DIRECTED YOUR ENGINEERS TO CHANGE THE SOURCE

CODE? » CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU FOR

THE QUESTION. » HAPPY DIRECTED THEM TO

CHANGE, A SOURCE CODE? » LIKE WHAT WE’RE OFFERING?

HAVE YOU DIRECTED THEM TO CHANGE THAT SOURCE CODE?

CONGRESSMAN, IF YOU GIVE ME A BIT OF TIME TO JUST –

KNOW, IT’S A YES OR NO QUESTION.

HAVE YOU DIRECTED YOUR ENGINEERS TO CHANGE THAT SOURCE

CODE? » I’M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND.

WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING TIKTOK TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE

CAPACITY FOR CENSORSHIP, AND YET YOU CLAIM HERE THAT YOU

DON’T, LET ME REMIND YOU, DO YOU REALIZE THAT MAKING FALSE

AND MISLEADING STATEMENTS TO CONGRESS AS A FEDERAL CRIME?

YES, I DO. » SO HAVE YOU DIRECTED YOUR

ENGINEERS TO CHANGE THAT SOURCE CODE?

I’M GIVING THIRD-PARTY ACCESS BY EXPERTS –

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF SOURCE CODE IS THE SAME AS –

WHAT PERCENTAGE? » I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE

SPECIFICS. » I APPRECIATE THAT.

WHERE WAS THE SOURCE CODE FOR TIKTOK DEVELOPED?

WAS IT DEVELOPED IN CHINA, OR THE UNITED STATES?

IT’S A GLOBAL COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.

WAS IT DEVELOPED IN CHINA? » SOME OF IT IS.

BYTEDANCE. CABIN, WHEN IT’S COMPILED IN

THE COMPILATION PROCESS, CAN BITE CODE BE MANIPULATED?

WE’VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SOURCE CODE, WHAT ABOUT THE BIKE CODE.

THE ONES AND ZEROES THAT ACTUALLY EXECUTE ON THE DEVICE?

CONGRESSMAN, WE’RE GIVING THIRD-PARTY MONITORS.

AS AN EXPERT, I THINK YOU CAN AGREE, VERY FEW COMPANIES –

I HAVE THE SUPPORT HERE BY CITIZEN LAB.

I WANT TO READ YOU SOMETHING FROM WRONG DEEPER.

SPECIFICALLY, IN YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS, YOU

STATED ON PAGE NINE, CITIZEN LAB FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO

OVER DATA TRANSMISSION BY TIKTOK TO THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENTS, AND THAT TIKTOK DID NOT CONTACT ANY SERVICE

WITHIN CHINA. YOU IMPLIED THE CITIZEN LAB

EXONERATED TIKTOK FOR MANY INFORMATION SHARED WITH CHINA.

THE DIRECTOR CITIZEN LAD SAW THIS IN ISSUED A STATEMENT

CORRECTING THE RECORD YESTERDAY.

I’M QUOTING THE DIRECTOR OF THE LAB.

I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT TIKTOK EXECUTIVES CONTINUE CITING THE

CITIZEN LOVES RESEARCH AND THEIR STATEMENTS TO GOVERNMENT

AS SOMEHOW EX SCULPT TORY. I’VE CALLED THEM OUT ON THIS IN

THE PAST, AND IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN.

UNQUOTE. HE GOES ON TO SAY, UNQUOTE,

THAT WHEN YOU’VE BEEN SPECULATING ABOUT POSSIBLE

MECHANISMS TO WHICH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT MIGHT USE

UNCONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES TO OBTAIN TIKTOK USER DATA, THE

PRESSURE ON BYTEDANCE, AND A QUOTE.

MR. CHU, YOU SAID CONGRESS WITH AN TESTIMONY CITING THIS LAB

HAS THE SUPPORT OF YOUR CLAIM THAT CHINA CANNOT ACCESS USER

DATA. U.S. USER DATA.

NOW, THIS LAP IS COME OUT TO SAY, WE NEVER SAID THAT.

THAT’S MISLEADING. MR. CHU.

I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.

THAT IS MISLEADING. MR. CHU, THIS IS YET ANOTHER

INSTANCE OF TIKTOK ATTEMPTING TO MISLEAD AMERICANS ABOUT WHAT

THEIR TECHNOLOGY IS CAPABLE OF, AND WHO HAS ACCESS TO THEIR

INFORMATION. MADAM CHAIR, I’D LIKE TO –

ADD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT QUICKLY.

AND CITIZENS LAB TO THE RECORD –

WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE GENTLEMAN YEARS BACK.

CHAIR YIELDS TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM MARYLAND’S.

MR. SARBANES. » THANKS VERY MUCH, MADAM

CHAIR. I’M TRYING TO PICK UP ON A

THEME THAT WE’VE ALREADY COVERED, HERE WHICH IS THE

EFFECT THAT THIS PLATFORM, ALONG WITH OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA

PLATFORMS, BY THE, WAY HASN’T TERMS OF MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL

HEALTH IN THIS COUNTRY. I WILL SPEAK TO WHAT’S

HAPPENING ELSEWHERE INHE WORLD, BUT WE’VE TALKED ABOUT

THE IMPACT IT’S HAVING ON CHILDREN, ON TEENS.

WE TOOK SOME ACTION LAST YEAR IN THIS COMMITTEE TO TRY TO

IMPROVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, AUTHORIZE CRITICAL PROGRAMS TO

ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.

WE NEED TO DO EVEN MORE THAN THAT.

WE’VE GOT TO ADDRESS THE BIG TECH COMPANIES LIKE TIKTOK ARE

DOING BECAUSE THESE ARE PLATFORMS THAT EXPOSED CHILDREN,

TEENS, TWO ADDITIONAL RISKS. THE MORE TIME THAT MIDDLE AND

HIGH SCHOOL OR SPEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE EVIDENCE IS MORE

LIKELY THAT THEY ARE TO EXPERIENCE DEPRESSION AND

ANXIETY. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLING

SENSE, APPARENTLY, 16% OF AMERICAN TEENAGERS REPORT THAT

THEY USE TIKTOK, QUOTE, ALMOST CONSTANTLY.

THAT IS ABOVE 5 MILLION TEENAGERS IN THIS COUNTRY THAT

ARE ON TIKTOK. ALL THE TIME.

DO WE KNOW THAT IT, TACKLING TIKTOK, USERS DESIGN FEATURES

THAT CAN MANIPULATE USERS, INCLUDING CHILDREN AND TEENS,

TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED. THAT IS DESIGNED TO FEED THEM.

NEVER-ENDING SCREAM OF CONTENT, KEEP THEIR ATTENTION FOR HOURS

ON END. THIS INCLUDES CAPITALIZING ON

THE DESIRE FOR OTHERS APPROVAL THROUGH LIKE FEATURES, BRAIN ON

THE FEAR OF MISSING OUTS, PUSHY NOTIFICATIONS, SO FORTH.

AGAIN, YOU’RE PART OF AN INDUSTRY THAT SAT UP TO DO

THIS. YOU, IN SOME SENSE, DON’T

APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOURSELVES IN REACHING OUT AND

FINDING THAT NEW USER, AND THEN HOLDING ON TO THEM.

ON TIKTOK ITSELF, THEY’VE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THESE

FEATURES, AND OTHERS, LIKE THE ENDLESS SCHOOL FEATURE, CAN

HAVE AN OUTSIZED EFFECT ON TEENS.

WE’VE BEEN DISCUSSING HOW YOUR APP ONLY INTENSIFIES THAT HARM.

BY AMPLIFYING DANGEROUS CONTENT AND MISINFORMATION.

I DON’T WANT TO BE TOO PATERNALISTIC HERE, BECAUSE WE

HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.

WE’VE GOT TIKTOK USERS THAT ARE WATCHING THIS HEARING.

I’M SURE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN IDEAS ABOUT HOW THIS TECHNOLOGY

IS BEING MANAGED BY TIKTOK, AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

THEY LIKE TO ACCESS THE PLATFORMS, AND THEY SHOULD BE

ABLE TO DO THAT SAFELY. SO IT CERTAINLY IN THEIR

INTERESTS, AND THEY CAN DRIVE THIS CONVERSATION, I, THINK

PERFECTLY WELL. IT’S NOT A FAIR FIGHT, IS IT?

THE ALGORITHMS ON ONE SIDE OF THE SCREEN, THE HUMAN BRAIN IS

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN DROWNING IN THESE ALGORITHMS.

IN MANY INSTANCES, AT AN AGE WHERE THE BRAIN IS NOT EVEN

FULLY DEVELOPED YET. THERE IS ADDICTIVE IMPULSES ARE

BEING PERFECTED BY THE TECHNOLOGY, AND AGAIN, IT

LEAVES THE USERS SORT OF HELPLESS IN THE FACE OF THAT.

ARE YOU LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDESIGN OR FEATURES LIKE THE

ONE DIMENSION, TO BE LESS MANIPULATIVE AND ADDICTIVE FOR

USERS? CAN YOU COMMIT TO MAKING SOME

OF THOSE MODIFICATIONS HERE TODAY?

CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU. WE DO WANT TO BE LEADING IN

TERMS OF SAFETY OF OUR USERS, PARTICULARLY FOR TEENAGERS.

WE WANT TO FIRST LAUNCH A 60 MINUTE WATCH LIMITS.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE 60 MINUTE WATCH –

I’M VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY ARE

FOLLOWING. THERE ARE THOSE THAT STUDY THE

SERIOUSLY. WE HAVE A SERIES OF FEATURES.

FOR THEFT, WE HAVE THE 60. YOU CANNOT USE THE DIRECT

MESSAGING FEATURE BECAUSE WE WANT TO PROTECT THOSE YOUNGER

USERS. IF YOU UNDER 16, YOU CANNOT GO

VIRAL, BY DEFAULT. IF YOU’RE UNDER 18, YOU CANNOT

GO LIVE. » THEN WE GO BACK TO THE 60

MINUTE LIMITS. BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS

THAT TEENS CAN PRETTY EASILY BYPASS THE NOTIFICATION TO

CONTINUE USING THE APP IF THEY WANT TO.

I MEAN, LET’S FACE IT, OUR TEENS ARE SMARTER THAN WE ARE

BY HALF. THEY KNOW HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY

TO GET AROUND THESE LIMITS THAT THEY WANT TO.

ARE YOU MEASURING HOW THESE SCENES CONTINUE TO EXCEED THE

60 MINUTES OF TIME ON THAT APP? » WE UNDERSTAND THOSE

CONCERNS. OUR INTENTION IS TO HAVE THE

TEENS IN THESE PARENTS HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT

IS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA.

THAT’S WHY WE GIVE THE PARENTS FAMILY –

LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION BEFORE ABOUT OUT OF TIME.

IF YOU CONCLUDED THE PUTTING SOME REASONABLE LIMITS IN PLACE,

TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO ENFORCE THEM, WLD LEAD SOME

PERCENTAGE OF YOUR USERS TO LEAVE TIKTOK AND GO SOMEWHERE

ELSE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT?

YES. » REALLY?

I’D LOVE TO SEE HOW THESE LIMITS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED

AND BYPASSED, AND THE MEASURES YOUR TAKING TO ADDRESS THOSE

ISSUES GOING FORWARD. PLEASE BRING THAT INFORMATION

TO OUR COMMITTEE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

I’D BE HAPPY TO. » GENTLEMEN LEADS.

CHAIR RECOGNIZE THE GENTLEMAN FROM KENTUCKY.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR FOR YIELDING IN.

THEY APPRECIATE THE. TIME MR. CHU, YOU ARE OF

SERVICE EXPLICITLY SAY THAT TIKTOK DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THE

PROMOTION OR – CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

DESPITE THIS CONTENT BEEN AGAINST OR TERMS AND SERVICE,

AND I BROUGHT THIS UP WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS, DESPITE THIS

CONTENT BEING – CONTENT ON EURO PLATFORM

RELATING TO FENTANYL DRUG TRAFFICKING AND OTHER EXPLICIT

ACTIVITIES ARE ACTIVE AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIEWS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE BENADRYL CHALLENGE RESULTED IN THE DEATH

OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER. WE HEARD OF ANOTHER ONE WHO

BOUGHT A DEATH OF A TEENAGER. ARE YOU HAVE BYTEDANCE, WITH

THE CEO OF BYTEDANCE, DID YOU ALLOW RELATED DRUG TRAFFICKING

CHALLENGES RESULTING IN DEATH A GETS?

I RECKON – TIKTOK DOES NOT ALLOW ILLEGAL

DRUGS. » –

I BELIEVE THEY DON’T ALLOW THIS, BUT I WOULD NEED TO.

JACK I DON’T KNOW THEIR BUSINESS.

TIKTOK DOES NOT ALLOW THIS. » YOU ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT,

AND MY, GUESS THIS WOULD ALLOW 41 DAYS A THREAT AGAINST A

MEMBER OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TO STAND ON THEIR WEBSITE

FOR 41 DAYS. » AGAIN, I CANNOT SPEAK FOR –

AND I’M SORRY, I DIDN’T GET THE SECOND PART OF WHAT YOU SAID?

WE HAVE A THREAT AGAINST THE CHAIRMAN OF OUR COMMITTEE THAT

WAS ON YOUR SIDE FOR 41 DAYS. MY GUESS IS THAT WOULD NOT BE A

LOT IN CHINA. » THAT CONTENT IS VIOLATED,

FELT LOOK INTO THE SPECIFICS, AND I WILL, IF IT VIOLATES OUR

GUIDELINES, WE TAKE IT DOWN ON TIKTOK.

IT APPEARS THAT IT, DOES WHAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE’RE

TRYING TO GET, AT YOU SEEM TO BE ABLE TO PREVENT THIS CONTENT

IN CHINA. BUT YOU, SO NOT EVEN TAKEN A,

DOWN JUST PREVENTING IT FROM BEING POSTED.

AND, YET IT’S ON YOUR WEBSITES. SO ASK COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT,

HE SAID EARLIER, AS SOON AS YOU FIND THIS INFORMATION, YOU TAKE

IT DOWN. HOW QUICKLY DOES YOUR ALGORITHM

HAVE KEYWORDS, AND CONTENT, THAT RESULTS IN THE DRUG

TRAFFICKING BEFORE THESE REPORTED BY OTHERS.

WE HAVE ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS NOW, TOGETHER

WITH THE MACHINES THAT WE TRADE.

I DON’T THINK ANY COMPANY IN OUR INDUSTRY CAN BE PERFECT AT

THIS. THIS IS A REALLY BIG CHALLENGE

FOR THE INDUSTRY. OUR GOAL IS TO GET THIS, ANY

PILOT OF CONTENT, INCLUDING LEGAL, DRUGGED UP TO A VERY

SMALL NUMBER. » THE PROBLEM IS, WE HAVE

AREAS WITH CEOS OF DIFFERENT COMPANIES, AND YOUR COLLEAGUES,

AND COMPETITORS, WE ALWAYS HEAR APOLOGIES, WE ALWAYS HEAR, WE

WANT TO JUMP BETTER THIS, BUT IT JUST DOESN’T SEEM TO KEEP

IMPROVING. OF THESE WERE HEARING STORIES

OF OUR CHILDREN, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS BEEN TALKED ABOUT

TODAY. HOW MANY POST ACCOUNTS HAVE

BEEN IDENTIFIED AND REMOVED FROM TIKTOK IN CONTENT RELATED

TO ILLICIT DRUGS AND OTHER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES?

CONGRESSMAN, WE DO PUBLISH THAT IN A TRANSPARENCY REPORT.

I CAN GET MY TEAM TO GET YOU THE INFORMATION TO YOURS.

THANK, YOU I APPRECIATE. THAT ALSO, WE UNDERSTAND THAT’S

THE WAY PEOPLE USE TIKTOK IN OTHER PLATFORMS SIMILAR TO

YOURS IS THAT THEY ENSURE USER CONTENT IS IMPLEMENTED.

MY QUESTION – THE INSTANCES THAT USES C DRUG

ADVERTISEMENT, AND THEY GIVE A CODE TO GO TO ANOTHER SIDE.

MY QUESTION, AS YOU WORK WITH OTHER PLATFORMS TO –

ISN’T PERMITTED TO JUMP FROM ONE PLATFORM TO OTHERS.

I’LL CHECK WITH MY TEAMS. I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITHIN OUR

INDUSTRY TO ENSURE THAT WE STAND BY THESE PROBLEMS.

THE VIOLET OF CONTENT SHOULD NOT BE A LOT OF MANY PLATFORMS,

IN MY OPINION. » WHAT’S KIND OF FRUSTRATING

TO ALL OF THIS IS WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON YOUR

SIDES, AND OTHERS, IN PARTICULARLY WE KNOW, BECAUSE

WE’VE DONE RESEARCH, THAT YOU CAN’T HAVE ACCESS TO ILLICIT

DRUG INFORMATION, WHICH IS WITH YOUR COMPANY IN CHINA.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY, IF YOU CAN PREVENT IT ON, ONE OF THE OTHER,

YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP IT FROM MOVING FORWARD.

AND YET YOU DON’T KNOW – WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPAND ON HOW

THIS COMPANY CAN PREVENT THAT? I KNOW YOU DON’T –

BUT THEY DON’T ALLOW IT. IT HAPPENS ON YOUR PLATFORM.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? » FIRST OF, ALL THE MAJORITY

OF THE CONTENT ON TIKTOK IS FUN, ENTERTAINING, AND INFORMATIVE

TO OUR USERS. OTHERS THAT HAVE –

COME PUBLISHED THIS CONTENT ON ILLEGAL DRUGS AND –

THE BAD ACTORS DON’T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS DOUYIN.

THE » TIKTOK U.S. EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE COMPARED TO OTHER

U.S. COMPANIES BECAUSE THE SAYS –

BUT YOUR PARENT COMPANY HAS THE TECHNOLOGY TO PREVENT, AND

BECAUSE YOU PREVENT IN CHINA, BUT YOU CAN PREVENTED HERE.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE, THAT’S WHY MASKING?

THERE IS NO TECHNOLOGY THAT IS PERFECT.

WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE REALITY OF THE COUNTRY THAT

WE’RE OPERATING NINE. HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AS

WITH OTHER COMPANIES. WE SHARE THE CHALLENGE.

WE ARE INVESTING A LOT TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE, BUT, YOU

KNOW, IT’S A SHARED CHALLENGE. » DO YOU INVEST A LOT, YOU

SEEM TO BE INVESTING MORE ON CHINA THAN HERE.

I THINK THE COMPARISON HAS BEEN WITHIN THE SINGLE COUNTRY.

WE FACE THE SAME SET OF CHALLENGES HERE IN THE U.S..

I’M, SORRY MOTOWN, BUT WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE FOR CHINA

IN HERE? » LET ME GIVE YOU.

EXAMPLE IN MY HOME COUNTRY, SINGAPORE, THERE IS ALMOST NO

ILLEGAL DRUG CONTENT. SINGAPORE’S VERY STRICT DRUG

LAWS. » THANK YOU.

MY TIME IS EXPIRED. I YIELD BACK.

GENTLEMEN YEARS. BACK CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLEMAN – TO TALK FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK, YOU MADAM CHAIR. ARE I AM CONCERNED THAT

TIKTOK’S ALGORITHM – PRAISE ON VULNERABLE PEOPLE,

INCLUDING THOSE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION, EATING DISORDERS,

AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.

PLATFORM IS DESIGNED TO PUSH CONTENT TO USERS THAT WILL

WATCH MORE FREQUENTLY, AND FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR MANY PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM CERTAIN MENTAL

HEALTH DISORDERS, VIDEOS THAT REINFORCE THEIR FEARS OR

NEGATIVE SELF IMAGE ARE MORE ENGAGING.

ON TOP OF, THAT TIKTOK HAS RECEIVED SENSITIVE PATIENT

HEALTH INFORMATION, AND RECORDS OF RISING ACTIVITY FROM

MULTIPLE TELE-HEALTH COMPANIES LIKE BETTER HELP AND CEREBRAL.

PEOPLE’S PERSONAL STRUGGLE SHOULD NOT BE FUEL FOR TIKTOK’S

PROFITS. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEEK

HELP TO ADDRESS SERIOUS MEDICAL CONCERNS WITHOUT BEING AFRAID

THAT THEIR INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

COMPANIES TRYING TO PUSH MORE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR

CONTENTS. MR. CHU, WILL CHUCK TALKING TO

NEW TO GET INFORMATION FROM THIRD PARTIES ON HIS USERS,

HEALTH, INCLUDING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.

YES OR NO? » WE’LL CONTINUE TO WELCOME

EFFORTS, IF THAT’S THE QUESTION? TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.

WILL YOU CONTINUE TO GET INFORMATION FROM THESE THIRD

PARTIES? INCLUDING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH,

YESTERDAY? » CONGRESSMAN, I’M SORRY, I

MAY NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.

IF YOUR QUESTION IS IF I’M WORKING WITH HIM ON THIS ISSUE,

THE ANSWER IS YES. » IT’S NOT THE QUESTION.

IT’S WILL YOU CONTINUE TO GET INFORMATION FROM THESE THIRD

PARTIES ON ITS USERS HEALTH? » GET INFORMATION?

WE DO NOT GET ANY USE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION FROM THIRD

PARTIES. CONGRESSMAN.

YOU’VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT USER PRIVACY AND SAYING, WILL

YOU COMMIT HERE TODAY, TO NO LONGER USING DATA ABOUT USERS

HEALTH, PARTICULARLY THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, TO PUSH THEM

CONTENT, OR SELL ADS, YESTERDAY? » WE TAKE OUR USERS MENTAL

HEALTH VERY SERIOUSLY. » YES OR NO?

AS FAR AS I’M AWARE, WE DON’T SEE, THAT CONGRESSMEN.

THAT’S NOT – » SO THE ANSWER IS NOW.

YOU KNOW LONGER USE DATA ABOUT USERS HEALTH.

TIKTOK, SYSTEMATICALLY, EXPLOITS USERS AND ANXIETIES

ONE PUSHING ALARMING AND DISTRESSING CONTENT ONTO THERE

FOR YOU PAGE. FOR EXAMPLE, IN MAY OF 2022,

THE L.A. TIMES FOUND THAT SOME PREGNANT USERS SEARCHING FOR

INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PREGNANCIES, ON TIKTOK, MORE

THAN SHOWN INFORMATION ABOUT MISCARRIAGES, STILLBIRTH, AND

DELIVERY ROOM TRAUMAS. YOUR COMPANY KNOWS THAT

DISTRESSING CONTENT CAN HAVE A PERVERSE EFFECT, FEEDING USER

ENGAGEMENT. AND, FOR TIKTOK, ENGAGEMENT

MEANS MONEY. IN THE COURSE OF THE WEEK, ONE

PERCENTAGE OF CONTENT IN THE USER SEAS IS CONSIDERED

POTENTIALLY HARMFUL, OR DISTRESSING CONTENT?

CONGRESSMAN, WE WORK WITH A LOT OF EXPERTS ON THIS.

EVEN BEFORE WE SET A 60 MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR OUR TEENS.

IF YOU SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN THE PLATFORM, YOU CAN TRY, IT

EASTMAN TOO MUCH TIME, WE WILL ACTUALLY SEND TWO VIDEOS TO

TELL YOU TO GO OUT AND GET SOME, AIR GET OUT.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CONTENTS THAT USER CEASE IS CONSIDERED

POTENTIALLY HARMFUL? » I WOULD NEED TO FOLLOW UP

WITH MY TEAM AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

I WOULD NEED TO FOLLOW UP, OUR TEENAGERS IN PARTICULAR

SHOWN MORE DISTRESSING CONTENTS? » THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE, WE PUT

IN MORE RESTRICTIONS, TO ENSURE THAT OUR TEENAGERS HAVE A

BETTER EXPERIENCE. » OUR NEW PARENTS SHOWED MORE

DISTRESSING CONTENT? » I KNOW OF MANY PARENTS,

INCLUDING ONE I MET RECENTLY, WHO ACTUALLY USED OUR PLATFORM

TO FIND COMMUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH OTHER PARENTS, LEARN A LOT

MORE. I’VE HEARD AMAZING STORIES OF

CRATERS WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES –

ARE INDIVIDUALS WITH EATING DISORDERS SHORTENED MORE

DISTRESSING CONTENT? » WE REMOVE ALL CONTENT THAT

GLORIFIES EATING DISORDERS. WE HAVE WART WITH EXPERTS TO –

TO HAVE CERTAIN CONTENT THAT MAY NOT BE INHERENTLY HARMFUL,

LIKE DIET TRENDS, AND ENSURE WE DISPERSE IT MORE THROUGHOUT THE

ALGORITHMS. » WHAT ABOUT THOSE MENTAL

HEALTH ISSUES? » THAT’S AN ISSUE WE TAKE –

IF A USER SEARCH, AS YOU KNOW, WORDS THAT EXPRESSES

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WE ACTUALLY REDIRECT THEM TO A

SAFETY PAGE. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU, I DON’T

KNOW IF I SHOULD SAY THIS IN PUBLIC, IF YOU SEARCH, I WANT

TO DIE, WE WILL RE-DIRECT YOU TO A SAFETY PAGE.

FOR EXAMPLE. » WHAT ABOUT THE SUFFERING

FROM ADDICTION, ARE THEY GIVING MORE DISTRESSING CONTENT?

I’M SORRY, CONGRESSMAN, I MISS THAT QUESTION?

IF PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM, ADDICTION TO THEY GIVE

MORE EXPLICIT CONTENT? » WHAT ABOUT THOSE SUFFERING

FROM ADDICTION, ARE THEY GIVEN MORE DISTRESSING CONTENT?

THOSE SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION.

DO YOU MEAN DRUG ADDICTION? », OR ANY, ANY ORDER

PRODUCTION. » IF PEOPLE SEARCH FOR CONTENT,

YOU CAN ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, WE WILL DIRECT YOU TO

A SAFETY PAGE, TO GIVE YOU MORE RESOURCES.

AND A LOT OF RECOVERING ADDICTS HAVE ACTUALLY FOUND COMMUNITIES

ON TIKTOK. THIS IS HELP THEM, YOU KNOW,

FIND THEIR VOICES AND COMMUNITY, AND COURAGE, TO REALLY OVERCOME

ADDICTION. I PERSONALLY HAVE HEARD STORIES

OF THAT. » I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWER,

BUT I WAS LOOKING FOR YES OR NO.

WE DID NOT GET THOSE, AGAIN. I FIND THAT MORE, THEY WATCH

THIS DISTRESSING CONTENT, OR PROFIT CAN TUCK BAGS, IT’S

DISTRESSING. » GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK, CHAIR

RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN FROM MICHIGAN, MR. WALBERT, FOR FIVE

MINUTES. » THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

I’M GLAD TO YOU HERE, MR. CHU. AS CHAIR ROGERS AND

REPRESENTATIVE BURGESS MENTIONED THIS MORNING, THE

WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS THAT CHINA WILL FORMALLY OPPOSE

ANY FOR SALE OR – ON TIKTOK.

THIS IS BASED NOT ON CONJECTURE, BUT ON COMMENTS PROVIDED BY THE

OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON AT THE MINISTRY OF CONGRESS, WHO SAID

THAT ANY TIKTOK SALE OR SPINOFF WOULD AMOUNT TO A TECHNOLOGY

EXPORT THAT WOULD HAVE TO ADHERE TO CHINESE LOT APPROVAL.

THIS SPOKESPERSON WAS QUOTED AS SAYING, CHINESE, AND I QUOTE,

CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE DECISIONS ACCORDING TO THE LAW.

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. MR. CHU, DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS

OFFICIAL? » YES OR NO?

CONGRESSMAN, I CANNOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL. » DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT

OFFICIAL? » WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT

THIS BECAUSE PROJECT EXCESSES DESIGNED TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE

UNITED STATES, AND WE ARE NOT DISCUSSING THIS.

I CANNOT GO INTO SPECIFICS. » YOU ARE COMPANIES VALUED AT

UPWARDS OF 50 BILLION DOLLARS. AND IT HAS BEEN ON THE VERGE OF

FOR SALE, OR BANDS, FOR THREE YEARS, AT LEAST, CORRECT?

DO YOU EXPECT THIS COMMITTEE TO BELIEVE YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY

DISCUSSED A SCENARIO WITH YOUR TEAM, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE AN

ANSWER TO THIS, YES OR NO, I AGREE WITH THE COMMUNIST PARTY,

OR I DON’T AGREE WITH THE COMMUNIST PARTY.

SO, I GUESS I WOULD SAY AT THAT POINT, DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THE

COMMUNIST PARTY. EXPLAIN YOUR DISCREPANCY.

CONGRESSMAN, FOR TWO YEARS, WE SPENT A BILLION AND A HALF

U.S. DOLLARS TO BUILD PROJECT ACCESS.

THIS IS AFTER VERY EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH –

PROJECT TEXAS IS JUST SOMETHING TO BE EXPANDED FOR

THE FUTURE. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT NOW.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING NOW, WHAT YOUR

EXPECTATIONS ARE NOW. WHAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP SIZE

WITH THE COMMUNIST PARTY. THIS IS OUR MAJOR CONCERN.

ABOUT WHAT THE MAJOR IMPACT THIS WILL BE WITH A COUNTRY,

LET ME REPHRASE THAT, WITH THE COMMUNIST PARTY THAT DOESN’T

CARE ABOUT AMERICA, AND SEES US STANDING IN THEIR WAY FROM A

FOREIGN SUPERPOWER. THAT’S OUR CONCERN.

FOR YOU TO HAVE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP, DIRECT OWNERSHIP

WITH BYTEDANCE, AND TO NOT HAVE A CHARACTERIZATION, OR AN

AGREEMENT, OR DISAGREEMENTS, THAT YOU SAY EXPLICITLY, BUT

THIS PARTY POLICY, IT’S HARD FOR US TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU’RE

SAYING. LET ME MOVE ON.

FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT MR. – ASKED ABOUT DATA ACCESS BY

CHINESE ENGINEERS, IN RESPONDING, MISSED A LOT OF

TALK ABOUT WHERE AMERICAN USER DATA WOULD BE STORED IN THE

FUTURE. THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT ACCESS

TODAY. STORAGE IN THE FUTURE, VERSUS

ACCESS TODAY. THIS IS TOTAL REDIRECTION.

THIS BLOWS UP ANTITRUST WE COULD DESIRE TO DEVELOP.

TO BE CLEAR, MR. CHU, TODAY, DID BYTEDANCE EMPLOYEES IN

BEIJING HAVE ACCESS TO AMERICAN DATA?

CONGRESSMAN, WE HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT THIS.

WE HAVE RELIED ON GLOBAL INTEROPERABILITY.

DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO AMERICAN DATA?

CONGRESSMAN, I’M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.

WE JUST HAVE TIME. WE RELY ON GLOBAL

INTEROPERABILITY, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES IN CHINA.

YES, THE CHINESE – DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO GLOBAL

DATA. BUT, WE HAVE HEARD –

NOT STORAGE. » NO, STORAGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN

IN VIRGINIA, AND SINGAPORE. THE PHYSICAL SERVERS.

YOU HAVE NO ACCESS TO STORAGE, TO AMERICAN DATA TODAY?

THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAID. I SAID –

SO YOU DO HAVE ACCESS TO AMERICAN DATA, AND YOU HAVE

STORAGE IN AMERICAN DATA? » AMERICAN DATA IS ALWAYS BEEN

STORED IN VIRGINIA AND SINGAPORE, IN THE PAST.

ACCESS OF THIS IS ON AN AS REQUIRED BASIS BY ENGINEERS

GLOBALLY. BY ENGINEERS, FOR BUSINESS

PURPOSES. IT’S A PRIVATE COMPANY.

BYTEDANCE? » BYTEDANCE –

THE COMMUNIST PARTY? » NO.

HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? » THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS.

LIKE MANY OTHER BUSINESSES, MANY OTHER AMERICAN COMPANIES,

WE RELY ON A GLOBAL WORKFORCE. » SO THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE THAT

INCLUDES BYTEDANCE, WHICH IS CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY. » THAT IS A CHARACTERIZATION

WE DISAGREE WITH. NOW, IN THE FUTURE –

THAT’S NOT WHAT WE DISAGREE WITH.

THAT’S A FACT. » IT’S NOT, UNFORTUNATELY.

THE CEO OF BYTEDANCE – AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO HIM.

RESPECTFULLY, IN MY OPENING STATEMENT I SAID THIS IS A

PRIVATE COMPANY. WE’RE ONLY 60% BY GLOBAL

INVESTORS. THREE OF THE FIVE BOARD MEMBERS

ARE AMERICANS. » YOU REPORT TO BIDEN, AS THE

CEO WHO’S MEMBER OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY.

LET ME MOVE ON. » HE’S.

NOT I THINK WE HAVE THE ANSWER. AT THIS POINT.

I BELIEVE MY TIME IS EXPIRED, SO I YIELD BACK.

GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. WE RECOGNIZE MISS CLARK FOR

FIVE MINUTES. » THANK, YOU CHAIRWOMAN

ROGERS. THINK THE RANKING MEMBER FOR

HOLDING TODAY’S HEARING. THROUGHOUT THIS HEARING, I ALSO

WANT TO THANK OUR WITNESS. FOR BEING HERE TO TESTIFY ON

WHAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES BEFORE US TODAY.

THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE OUTLINED THE

POTENTIAL THREAT POSED BY THE SECURITY OF AMERICANS DATA BY

TIKTOK BEING AFFILIATED AND SOME WOULD SAY OWNED BY A

CHINESE COMPANY. FOREIGN ADVERSARIES HAVING

DIRECT ACCESS TO AMERICANS DATA, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO

INFLUENCE THIS CONTENTS THAT AMERICANS SEE ON A PROLIFIC

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. THIS REPRESENTS AN

UNPRECEDENTED THREAT TO AMERICAN SECURITY, AND TO OUR

DEMOCRACY. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL

MEDIA PLATFORMS CONTENT MODERATION, OUT DICK

DISCRIMINATION AND SAFETY, ARE NEITHER KNEW, NOR UNIQUE TO

TIKTOK. MR. TO, I SHARE THE CONCERNS

RAISED BY MY COLLEAGUES, CONGRESSWOMAN MATSUI.

RELATED TO ALGORITHMS. I BELIEVE THAT WITHOUT

MITIGATION AGAINST BIAS, PLATFORMS WILL CONTINUE TO

REPLICATES, EXASPERATED, DISCRIMINATION THAT IS ILLEGAL

UNDER CIVIL RIGHTS LAW. AS WELL AS EXCLUDE IMPORTANT

DIALOGUE ABOUT SENSITIVE TOPICS, LIKE RACE, FROM OCCURRING ON

THE PLATFORM. FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS DISTURBED BY

REPORTS THAT TIKTOK CONTENT MODERATION ALGORITHM FLYING

TOWARDS LIKE BLACK, OR BLACK LIVES MATTER.

AS INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT. SO MY FIRST QUESTION, MR., YOU

DO YOU AGREE THE PLATFORMS LIKE TIKTOK SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO

REGULAR AUDITS? MORE TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS?

TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE POLICIES HAVE A DISPARATE IMPACT ON

COMMUNITIES THAT ARE PROTECTED CLASSES.

LIKE RACE, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, OR AGENDA?

I THINK, CONGRESSWOMAN, I THINK THE PLATFORM SHOULD BE

VERY TRANSPARENT ON WHAT THEY DO, AND DISCLOSE A LOT OF

INFORMATION. WE CAN GET BACK ON THE

SPECIFICS OF WHAT WE MEAN BY AN, AUDIT BUT I DO AGREE VERY

STRONGLY THAT PLATFORMS SHOULD BE VERY TRANSPARENT, AND THAT

IS A COMMITMENT THAT WE ARE GIVING TO THIS COMMITTEE, AND

ALL OUR USERS, THAT OUR PLATFORM WILL BE A PLACE FOR

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. WE EMBRACE ALL DIVERSE POINTS

OF, YOU ALL ETHNIC MINORITIES, YOU CAN COME AND SAY WHATEVER

YOU WANT, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T VIOLATE THE RULES OF SAFETY

THAT WE PUT IN PLACE. WE ALSO COMMIT TO BE FREE OF

ALL GOVERNMENT MANIPULATION. I’M IN STRONG AGREEMENT WITH

WHAT YOU SAID. » MY BILL, THE ALGORITHMIC

ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, WOULD REQUIRE PLATFORMS TO BE

TRANSPARENT ABOUT THEIR ALGORITHMS.

MEASURE DISPARITY IMPACT, AND REQUIRE RISK MITIGATION.

IT IS VITAL THAT THE CULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES IS REFLECTED

ONLINE, BUT I AM CONCERNED THE ALGORITHMS AND CONTENT

MODERATION PRACTICES EMPLOYED BY TIKTOK ARE IGNORANT TO THE

FUNDAMENTAL DIVERSITY, WHILE ALSO FAILING TO REMOVE CONTENT

THAT IS HARMFUL. LIKE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

MATERIAL, HATE SPEECH, OR DOMESTIC TERRORISM CONTENT.

MY NEXT QUESTION TO YOU, IT’S MY QUESTION –

IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT USERS MUST BE IN GOOD STANDING

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION FROM TIKTOK’S CREATOR FUND.

FOR EXAMPLE, THEY CAN’T HAVE VIOLATED COMMUNITY GUIDELINES.

IS THAT CORRECT? » THERE ARE SOME DETAILS THERE,

BUT YES. » WITH TIKTOK’S ALGORITHM IS

FIGHTING CONTENT INCORRECTLY, RESULTING IN CREATORS VIOLATING

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES, WHEN IN FACT, THEY HAVE NOT, THOSE

CREATORS WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION UNDER

THE CRATER FOND, CORRECT? » WE DO HAVE AN APPEALS

PROCESS. » YOU DO HAVE AN APPEALS

PROCESS? » IF TIKTOK EMPLOYS ALGORITHMS

THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY MISS REMOVE CONTENT FROM BLACK

READERS, IT’S DISPROPORTIONATELY SILENCES AND

EXCLUDES BLOCK RAIDERS FROM COMPENSATION OPPORTUNITIES.

THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS IN PARALLEL TO THE LACK OF

ADEQUATE RECOGNITION, ATTRIBUTION, AND COMPENSATION

TO BLOCK CREATIVES FOR THEIR CONTENTS.

THE EXPLOITATION, CULTURAL MISAPPROPRIATIONS, THE ERASURE,

OF BLACK RATE OF OWNERSHIP OF THEIR FASHION, ART, AND MEDIA,

IS NOTHING NEW. WE NEED TRANSPARENCY,

ACCOUNTABILITY, AND BOLD ACTION TO MITIGATE AGAINST

MISINFORMATION, BIAS, AND EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN

COMMUNITIES FROM THE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT ON

PLATFORMS LIKE TIKTOK. SO LET ME JUST SAY THIS.

I’M CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY, I AM CONCERNED

ABOUT AND ALGORITHMIC ACCOUNTABILITY.

I AM NOT CLEAR THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION HOLDS THOSE

VALUES. SO I WANT TO ASK THAT YOU TAKE

A LOOK AT THIS, BECAUSE THE IS ALL PART OF PARCEL OF WHAT WE

ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH RESPECT TO SOCIAL MEDIA

PLATFORMS. AND THEN MISAPPROPRIATION, THE

WAYS IN WHICH THOSE ALGORITHMS CAN DISCRIMINATES WITHIN THE

CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.

WITH THAT, MADAM CHAIR, I YIELD BACK.

CONGRESSWOMAN, IS IT OKAY IF I JUST VERY QUICKLY RESPOND.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC. » UNFORTUNATELY, WE ONLY HAVE

FOUR AND HALF HOURS WITH YOU. I’M GOING TO TRY TO GET

EVERYONE. » IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, I

WOULD – » THERE WILL BE OTHER

OPPORTUNITIES. THE LADY YIELDS BACK.

GENTLEMAN FROM GEORGIA – IS RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. WELCOME TO THE MOST BIPARTISAN

COMMITTEE IN CONGRESS. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON HOW

TO GET, THERE BUT WE CARE ABOUT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.

WE CARE ABOUT OUR ECONOMY. WE SURE AS HECK CARE ABOUT OUR

CHILDREN. WE SURE DO.

AND THAT’S WHY YOU’RE HERE TODAY, BECAUSE TWO THIRDS OF

ALL THE YOUTH AND OUR COUNTRY ARE ON YOUR APP.

THEY SPEND AN AVERAGE OF 95 MINUTES ON YOUR APP, AND

RESEARCH IS SHOWN THAT TIKTOK IS THE MOST ADDICTIVE PLATFORM

OUT THERE. THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT

WE’VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT HAS BEEN HAD THE MOST ADVANCED

ALGORITHM. AND THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

KNOWS, THUS IDOLS WEEK FOR EVERYONE, BUT THERE ARE THOSE

ON THIS COMMITTEE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WHO BELIEVE THAT THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY IS ENGAGED IN PSYCHOLOGICAL

WARFARE. THROUGH TIKTOK.

TO DELIBERATELY, INFLUENCE U.S. CHILDREN.

YOU KNOW, YOU SEE BEHIND ME, IF YOU LOOK BEHIND ME, MR. CHU,

YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE ON

TIKTOK. YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BELL

CRITERIA, KNOW ABOUT THE BLACKOUT CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW

ABOUT THE NIGHT QUO CHICKEN CHALLENGE.

THE BENADRYL CHALLENGE. THE DRAGONS BREATH LIQUID

NITROGEN CHALLENGE. I WANT TO ASK YOU, THERE IS A

SISTER ACT IN CHINA – I’M SORRY IF I’M BUTCHERING THE

PRONUNCIATION. DO THEY HAVE THE SAME THINGS

OUT THERE? SO THEY HAVE THIS KIND OF

CHALLENGES?

CONGRESSMAN, I’M VERY GLAD YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION.

DO THEY, YES OR NO? » I’M NOT SURE.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. COME ON, NOW.

I REALLY AM NOT SURE. » REMEMBER, THE CHAIR LADY

SAID YOU’VE GOT TO TELL THE TRUTH.

OKAY? DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THEY HAVE

THOSE KIND OF CHALLENGES OVER THERE IN CHINA?

IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY DON’T.

I’M NOT SURE BECAUSE I SPENT MY ENERGY RUNNING TIKTOK.

AND YOU DON’T LOOK AT ANY OF YOUR OTHER COMPETITORS OR LOOK

AT ANYTHING SIMILAR TO YOURS? SO YOU DON’T KNOW WHETHER THEY

HAVE IT? THEY DON’T HAVE THIS OVER AND

CHINA. » –

THAT’S WHY I’M ASKING YOU THIS.

WHY IS IT THAT TIKTOK CONSISTENTLY FAILS TO IDENTIFY

AND MODERATE THESE KINDS OF HARMFUL VIDEOS?

WE’VE ALREADY HEARD, GOT BLESS YOU, FROM PARENTS WHO ARE HERE

WITH US WHO HAVE LOST CHILDREN. I SUBMIT TO YOU EVERYBODY UP

HERE CARES ABOUT THE CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTRY.

TELL ME WHY. » THIS IS A REAL INDUSTRY

CHALLENGE. » THIS IS AN INDUSTRY.

THIS IS TIKTOK. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TIKTOK.

WHY IS IT THAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL THIS?

ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE IN GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE, AND

I WANT TO THANK YOU, IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE VIDEO

THAT THREATEN THE LIFE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN HAS BEEN REMOVED.

THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. SORRY WE HAD TO BRING IT TO

YOUR ATTENTION HERE, BUT IT’S BEEN REMOVED.

TELL ME WHY THIS IS GOING ON? » IT’S AN INDUSTRY CHALLENGE

FOR EVERYONE OPERATING – » OKAY, SO MUCH FOR INDUSTRY

CHALLENGE. LET’S SHIFT GEARS REAL QUICK.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BIOMETRICS.

I WANT TO TALK SPECIFICALLY WE, CAN YOU SAY TO ME RIGHT NOW

WITH 100% CERTAINTY, THAT TIKTOK DOES NOT USE THE PHONES

CAMERA TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CONTENT THAT ELICITS PUPIL

DILATION SHOULD BE AMPLIFIED BY THE ALGORITHM?

CAN YOU TELL ME THAT? » WE DO NOT COLLECT BODY, THEY

SWORE VOICE DATA TO IDENTIFY OUR USERS.

WE DO NOT. » YOU DON’T?

NO. THE ONLY FACE DATA THAT WE

COLLECT IS WHEN YOU USE THE FILTERS TO HAVE SUNGLASSES ON

YOUR FACE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOUR EYES ARE.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE EYES ARE?

ARE THEY NOT DILATED? » THAT DATA IS LOCATED ON YOUR

DEVICE AND DELETED AFTER. AGAIN, WE DO NOT COLLECT BODY,

FACE OR VOICE DATA TO IDENTIFY USERS.

I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE. IT’S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT

THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE EYES. HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHAT AGE

THEY ARE THAN? » WE RELY ON AGE DATING –

DATING. » AGE?

THAT IS WHEN YOU ASK THE USER WHAT AGE THEY ARE.

THERE’S ALSO TOOLS WHERE WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC PROFILE, TO

GO THROUGH THE VIDEOS THAT THEY POST, TO SEE WHETHER –

BOY, THAT’S CREEPY. TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT.

IT IS PUBLIC. SO IF YOU POST A VIDEO, YOU

CHOOSE IT TO GO PUBLIC, THAT’S HOW YOU GET PEOPLE TO SEE YOUR

VIDEO. WE LOOK AT THOSE TO SEE IF IT

MATCHES AT THE AGE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT.

THIS IS A REAL CHALLENGE FOR OUR INDUSTRY BECAUSE PRIVACY

VERSUS AGE ASSURANCE IS A REALLY BIG PROBLEM.

LOOK, LOOK, YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE INDUSTRY.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TIKTOK. HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT

CHILDREN DYING. YOU KNOW HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE

DIED BECAUSE OF THIS? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA?

CAN YOU TELL ME? » CONGRESSMAN, AGAIN, IT’S

HEARTBREAKING. » CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY

CHILDREN IN AMERICA HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF CHALLENGES LIKE THIS?

THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO USE OUR PLATFORM USE IT FOR

POSITIVE EXPERIENCES. » THAT’S NOT WHAT I ASKED YOU.

I ASKED YOU TO TELL ME THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN, OF U.S.

CHILDREN, WHO HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF THESE CHALLENGES.

CONGRESSMAN, AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO COME ON

OUR PLATFORM – » I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE

MAJORITY OF CHILDREN. I WANT TO KNOW A NUMBER.

DANGEROUS – ARE NOT ALLOWED ON OUR

PLATFORM. IF WE FIND THEM, WE REMOVE HIM.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU FOUND WENT TODAY AND REMOVED IT.

WE HAD TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION.

I KNOW I’M OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

WELCOME AGAIN TO THE MOST BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE IN

CONGRESS. » THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

WE WILL NOW TAKE A BRIEF RECESS AND RESUME IN TEN MINUTES.

THE COMMITTEE STANDS FOR RECESS.

IN THE HEARING, HOUSE LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN QUESTIONING

TIKTOK CEO SHOU CHEW ON HIS COMPANY’S DATA SECURITY

PRACTICES, AND THE COMPANY’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT, AMONG OTHER ISSUES. RIGHT NOW, THE HOUSE COMMERCE

COMMITTEE HEARING IS IN A SHORT BREAK.

WE WILL CONTINUE OUR LIVE COVERAGE HERE ON C-SPAN THREE

WHEN LAWMAKERS RETURN. AND A REMINDER YOU CAN STREAM

THE EVENT LIVE ON C-SPAN NOW ON OUR FREE MOBILE VIDEO APP, OR

YOU CAN WATCH ONLINE AT C-SPAN.ORG.

IN THE HEARING, HOUSE LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN QUESTIONING

TIKTOK SHOU CHEW ON HIS COMPANY’S DATA SECURITY

PRACTICES AND THE COMPANY’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT, AMONG OTHER ISSUES. RIGHT NOW, THE HOUSE COMMERCE

COMMITTEE HEARING IS IN A SHORT BREAK.

WE WILL CONTINUE OUR LIVE COVERAGE HERE ON C-SPAN THREE

WHEN LAWMAKERS RETURN. AND A REMINDER YOU CAN STREAM

THE EVENT LIVE ON C-SPAN NOW, OUR FREE MOBILE VIDEO APP, OR

YOU CAN WATCH ONLINE AT C-SPAN DOT ORG.

ORDER. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLEMAN FROM CALIFORNIA, MR. CÁRDENAS FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN. I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY

FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO HAVE THIS IMPORTANT HEARING REGARDING

TIKTOK AND ITS EFFECT ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE

AMERICAN CHILDREN AND THE POTENTIAL EFFECT, NOT POTENTIAL,

BUT THE EFFECTS IT HAS HAD AND MAY HAVE IN THE FUTURE WHEN IT

COMES TO OUR DEMOCRACY AND MISINFORMATION AND

DISINFORMATION THAT PERMEATES ON TIKTOK.

IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT, I THINK, MOST AMERICANS OR MOST PARENTS

THINK TIKTOK IS THIS INNOCENT LITTLE THING WHERE KIDS GET ON

THERE AND DO A LITTLE DANCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

TIKTOK AS MUCH, MUCH MORE, AS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, AND I

THANK THEM FOR BRINGING UP SOME OF THESE SERIOUS ISSUES,

LITERALLY LIFE AND DEATH ISSUES, THAT TIKTOK IS RIGHT IN THE

MIDDLE OF. AND ALSO, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO

WITNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE IS THAT IT APPEARS THAT MY COLLEAGUE,

MISS CAMMACK, BROUGHT UP THOSE TWO POSTERS AND SINCE THEN

TIKTOK HAS TAKEN THEM DOWN. SINCE THEN, NOT BEFORE THEN.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT, MR. CHEW? » I WAS BRIEFED DURING THE

BREAK THAT THEY WERE TAKEN DOWN, CONGRESSMAN.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT WAS UP FOR

APPARENTLY 40 SOMETHING DAYS, 41 DAYS, AND YET IN THE MIDDLE

OF THIS HEARING IT WAS BROUGHT DIRECTLY TO YOUR ATTENTION, AND

AS A RESULT, IT HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN SO QUICKLY?

IT GOES TO SHOW THE ENORMOUS CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE

SURE THAT ALTHOUGH THE VAST MAJORITY OF USERS COME FOR A

GOOD EXPERIENCE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT BAD ACTORS DO

NOT VIOLATE. » YES, AND THE WAY THAT YOU

CAN MAKE SURE, MISTER CHEW, IS YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU

CHOOSE TO INVEST MORE RESOURCES, MORE MONEY, INTO MORE ABILITY

TO PULL DOWN DAMAGING AND DEADLY INFORMATION FROM YOUR

PLATFORM. ARE YOU INVESTING MORE AND MORE

AND MORE EVERY DAY INTO BRINGING DOWN THAT KIND OF

CONTENT? THAT IS MY QUESTION.

ARE YOU? » YES.

AND I’M COMMITTED TO INVESTING MORE IN THIS REGARD, TO STAY ON

TOP OF IT. » RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED

STATES, MANY LANGUAGES ARE USED AND SPOKEN.

FOR EXAMPLE, TIKTOK IN THE UNITED STATES IS BEING USED IN

MANY LANGUAGES. SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO

SPANISH LANGUAGE, ARE YOU DEDICATING MORE RESOURCES TODAY

THAN YOU DID MONTHS AGO OR YEARS AGO, ON MAKING SURE THAT

YOU ARE COMBING THROUGH THAT CONTENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF

THE CONTENT IS DANGEROUS OR DAMAGING OR DEADLY, THAT YOU

ARE BRINGING IT DOWN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE?

YES, WE ARE INVESTING IN MORE SPANISH LANGUAGE CONTENT

MODERATION. AND YES, ONCE WE IDENTIFY

VIOLATING CONTENT, WE TAKE IT DOWN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU. AND YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY IS NOT

THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO COMMIT TO ANSWERING QUESTIONS

TO THIS COMMITTEE. SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO FORWARD

TO THIS COMMITTEE. AGAIN, I’M NOT ASKING FOR TRADE

SECRETS, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME SEMBLANCE OF

UNDERSTANDING AS TO HOW MUCH YOU ARE INVESTING WITH THE

NUMBER OF BODIES AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THE NUMBER OF

RESOURCES IN MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE INVESTING MORE IN

PULLING DOWN CONTENT THAT IS EITHER DEADLY OR DANGEROUS ON

YOUR PLATFORM. CAN YOU FORWARD THAT TO THE

COMMITTEE? » I WILL CHECK WITH MY TEAM

AND GET BACK TO YOU. » THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THAT OPPORTUNITY. AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, IT

MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE FUNNY, BUT YOU HAVE IN FACT BEEN ONE OF

THE FEW PEOPLE TO UNITE THIS COMMITTEE.

MEMBERS, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, TO BE IN AGREEMENT

THAT WE ARE FRUSTRATED WITH TIKTOK.

WE ARE UPSET WITH TIKTOK. AND YES, YOU KEEP MENTIONING

THAT THERE ARE INDUSTRY ISSUES THAT NOT ONLY TIKTOK BASIS, BUT

OTHERS. YOU REMIND ME A LOT OF MICS

OCHBERG. WHEN HE CAME HERE I SAID TO MY

STAFF, YOU REMINDS ME OF FRED ASTAIRE.

A GOOD DANCER WITH WORDS. AND YOU ARE DOING THE SAME

TODAY. A LOT OF YOUR ANSWERS ARE A BIT

NEBULOUS. THEY ARE NOT YES OR NO.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.

YES OR NO, IS YOUR REVENUE GOING UP AT TIKTOK MONTH OVER

MONTH? OR YEAR OVER YEAR?

YES, OUR REVENUE IS GOING UP YEAR OVER YEAR.

AND WITH THAT, SOME OF THE ANSWERS I WOULD LIKE YOU TO

FORWARD TO THIS COMMITTEE ARE, ARE YOU INVESTING MORE AND MORE

MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTENT THAT IS DANGEROUS AND

OR DEADLY, THAT YOU ARE INVESTING MORE RESOURCES IN

THAT ASPECT OF YOUR EXPENDITURES AND YOUR

COMMITMENT TO YOUR USERS AND YOUR ORGANIZATION?

YES, I COMMIT TO THAT. WE ARE INVESTING MORE AND WE

WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. » OKAY.

MY LAST QUESTION IS THIS, ARE YOU A CHINESE COMPANY?

TIKTOK IS A COMPANY THAT IS NOW HEADQUARTERED IN SINGAPORE

AND LOS ANGELES. » OKAY.

WE ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN MAINLAND CHINA.

OUR USERS ARE NOT – IN A LOT OF COUNTRIES AROUND

THE WORLD. » OKAY.

IS THERE A CORPORATION THAT HAS ANY AUTHORITY ABOVE TIKTOK?

TIKTOK IS A SUBSIDIARY OF FINANCE, WHICH IS FOUNDED BY A

CHINESE BIT – FOUNDER.

AND BYTEDANCE IS A CHINESE COMPANY?

BYTEDANCE OWNED MANY BUSINESSES THAT OPERATE IN

CHINA. » IS IT OR IS IT NOT A CHINESE

COMPANY? » CONGRESSMAN, THE WAY WE LOOK

AT IT IT WAS FOUNDED BY CHINESE –

I’M NOT LOOKING HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.

FACT, IS IT A CHINESE COMPANY OR NOT?

FOR EXAMPLE, BILL IS AN AMERICAN COMPANY.

THEY HAVE ACTIVITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IS IT A CHINESE COMPANY? » I FREQUENTLY HAVE THESE

DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHERS ON WHAT IS A COMPANY THAT IS NOW

GLOBAL. » THAT’S OKAY.

I PREFER YOU WOULD ANSWER THE QUESTION AND STOP DANCING

GLOBALLY ON IT. MADAM CHAIR, MY TIME HAS

EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLEMAN FROM CALIFORNIA, MR. OBERNOLTE.

THINK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. CHEW, IT’S NICE TO SEE YOU

AGAIN. IF I COULD BRING US BACK TO

30,000 FEET FOR A MOMENT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE

AFRAID OF HERE, WHAT WE FEAR MIGHT HAPPEN.

SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES AND TIKTOK IS NOT UNIQUE IN THIS,

GATHER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF USER DATA AND USE POWERFUL A.I.

TOOLS TO USE THAT DATA TO MAKE A REALLY ACCURATE PREDICTIONS

OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. THEN THEY SEEK TO MANIPULATE

THAT BEHAVIOR. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT

JUST TIKTOK, IT’S ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES THAT ARE

DOING THIS. ULTIMATELY, THE SOLUTION IS TO

AN COMPREHENSIVE FEDERAL PRIVACY LEGISLATION THAT WILL

PREVENT THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR, OR AT LEAST ALLOW USERS TO

CONSENT TO IT. THAT IS SOMETHING I KNOW THE

CHAIR IS WORKING ON, THE RANKING MEMBER.

I HOPE THIS COMMITTEE WILL ACT ON THAT THIS YEAR.

THE SPECIFIC CONCERN HERE THOUGH IS IN REGARDS TO TIKTOK.

THAT THIS TYPE OF CAPABILITY FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF

FOREIGN COUNTRIES, IS SOMETHING THAT HAS NATIONAL SECURITY

IMPLICATIONS. THAT IS WHY CONGRESS IS GETTING

INVOLVED ON THIS ISSUE. SO I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE

PROPOSED PROJECT TEXAS IN AN EFFORT TO ALLEVIATE THESE FEARS

SO I WANT TO ASK YOU SOME SPECIFIC TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

ABOUT PROJECT ACCESS, AND THE WAY YOU BELIEVE IT WILL SOLVE

THIS PROBLEM. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE

SAID IN TESTIMONY IS THAT PART OF PROJECT TEXAS WILL HAVE

ENGINEERS AT ORACLE GOING THROUGH THE SOURCE CODE FOR

TIKTOK. HOW LARGE IS THAT KOBE’S?

WELL, IT’S NOT SMALL. BUT IT’S NOT JUST ORACLE,

CONGRESSMAN, WE ARE ALSO INVITING OTHER THIRD-PARTY

MONITORS. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF

FIGURING OUT THE BEST PARTNERS. » WE ARE TALKING MILLIONS,

TENS OF MILLIONS OF LINES OF CODE, HOW BIG IS THE BASE?

IT IS SIGNIFICANT, BUT IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE CAN

BE DONE. AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THAT I

HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANOTHER COMPANY, AMERICAN OR NOT –

I UNDERSTAND. » TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN.

YOU ARE IN A KIND OF UNIQUE POSSESSION TO ANSWER THESE

CONCERNS OF CONGRESS. SO ARE THEY GOING THROUGH THE

CODE PROJECT THE APP, OR THE APP AND THE SERVER CODE?

I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE TECHNICAL DETAILS, BUT IT’S

COMPREHENSIVE INCLUDING THE SOFTWARE THAT POWERS, A LOT OF

THE SOFTWARE, THAT POWERS THE EXPERIENCE.

ALONG WITH THAT TAKE? » I NEED TO GET BACK YOU –

TO YOU ON THE TIMELINE, BUT WE ARE PROGRESSING QUITE WELL ON

PROJECT TEXAS. WHENEVER WE HIT A MILESTONE, I

COMMIT TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT.

OKAY. SO I’M WONDERING, BECAUSE I’M

ALSO CONCERNED AS A SOFTWARE ENGINEER, ABOUT THE PROCESS IN

WHICH NEW CODE IS INTRODUCED INTO THE CODE BASE.

DO YOU USE A SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

AT TIKTOK? » THE WAY WE PLAN FOR NEW CODE

TO BE DONE IS THAT, EVEN BEFORE THE CODE BECOMES LIKE, IT HAS

TO BE REVIEWED. THE CHANGES HAVE TO BE

REVIEWED. » OKAY, SO YOU ARE TALKING

ABOUT A CODE REVIEW. THAT’S ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE

FOR YOU. THAT’S GOOD.

SO THE CODE REVIEW, IS IT DONE WITH THE TEAM OF ENGINEERS OR

JUST WITH A SINGLE ENGINEER? » IT’S GOING TO BE A TEAM

EFFORT. YEAH.

OKAY. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE DONE AT

ORACLE OR ELSEWHERE? » IT’S GOING TO BE DONE IN ONE

OF OUR TRANSPARENCY CENTER SO THAT, WE STILL NEED TO MAKE

SURE THE CODE ITSELF IS SECURE. SO YEAH.

WHAT I’M HEARING YOU SAY IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE COAT MIGHT

BE WRITTEN BY SOMEONE NOT IN THE UNITED STATES, BEFORE THE

CODE IS INTEGRATED IT IS REVIEWED IN A CODE REVIEW BY A

TEAM OF ENGINEERS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES?

THAT’S THE PLAN. » OKAY.

AND BACK TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE

INTEGRATION OF THAT CODE CHANGE INTO THE REST OF TIKTOK KOBE’S?

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS WE HAVE BUILT A TEAM OF

AMERICAN POSTURAL WITH SECURITY CONDUCT –

CREDENTIALS. WHO YOU BELIEVE WORKED FOR THE

SECRET SERVICE. » WHAT SOLUTION IS IT?

I WOULD NEED TO CHECK AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THE DETAILS.

OKAY, SPECIFICALLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS TO MAKE

SURE THAT THIS ISN’T SOMETHING THAT THE TOP HAS CREATED

CUSTOM.

MANY COMPANIES DO THAT. THAT WOULD MEAN YOU WOULD HAVE

TO REVIEW THE SOURCE CODE FOR THAT AS WELL FOR SECURITY.

YES. » HOW DO YOU PROTECT AGAINST

THREATS LIKE THE MALICIOUS ACTOR BEING HIRED, NOT BY

TIKTOK, BUT BY ORACLE, FOR EXAMPLE, OR BY U.S. DS?

THE APPROACH THAT MOST COMPANIES TAKE THESE THINGS IS

TO HAVE SEVERAL LAYERS OF MONITORING TO MAKE SURE THAT

EVERYTHING THAT SOMEONE HAS REVIEWED, THERE’S A SECONDARY

REVIEW. SO ONE MALICIOUS ACTOR IS NOT

ABLE TO CREATE THE DAMAGE. BUT YOU RIGHTLY POINT IT OUT,

THESE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS ARE INDUSTRY PROBLEMS.

EVERY COMPANY HAS TO DEAL WITH THEM.

LET ME ASK YOU A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

IN THINKING ABOUT, IF I WERE A MALICIOUS ACTOR, A SOFTWARE

ENGINEER ON ONE OF YOUR PROJECT, HOW I WOULD GO ABOUT WRITING

MALICIOUS CODE. I WOULD NOT PUT IT RIGHT THERE

AND SAY, HEY, I MALICIOUS. I WOULD PUT UNRELATED LINES OF

CODED DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE CODE THAT WORK TOGETHER TO DO

SOMETHING MALICIOUS. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT COULD GET

CAUGHT? » AGAIN, WE HAVE TO RELY ON

THIRD-PARTY EXPERTS. I THINK THERE ARE ENOUGH

EXPERTS TO CATCH THESE THINGS. THE WORK ON DATA SECURITY, ALL

DATA SECURITY, IS NEVER PERFECT.

BUT WE CAN HAVE A LOT OF OVERSIGHT TO KEEP IT SAFER THAN

ANY OTHER EXPERIENCE. » I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT, MY

CONCERN IS THAT I DON’T BELIEVE IT IS TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE TO

ACCOMPLISH WHAT TIKTOK SAYS IT WILL ACCOMPLISH THROUGH PROJECT

TEXAS. I JUST THINK THERE ARE TOO MANY

BACK DOORS THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO ALLOW THAT TO BE POSSIBLE.

AND I THINK A MALICIOUS ACTOR WOULD SUCCEED IN INSERTING

MALICIOUS CODE IN THERE IF THEY WANTED TO.

I’M OUT OF TIME. I HOPE WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO

TALK MORE ABOUT THIS. I YIELD BACK MADAM CHAIR.

THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLELADY FROM MICHIGAN, MRS. DINGELL.

THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN RODGERS, AND MEMBER PALLONE, FOR HOLDING

THIS MEETING, AND MR. CHEW FOR TESTIFYING TODAY.

AS SCREEN TIME INCREASES, SO DO INHERENT RISKS.

AND WITH OUR LIBERATION AND POPULARITY OF NEW SOCIAL MEDIA

PLATFORMS, SO DOES THE POTENTIAL TO REACH DANGEROUS,

PROVOCATIVE, AND OFTEN CARAMEL –

HARMFUL CONTENT. MY FEAR, THE ABUSE OF COLLECTED

DATA. SO REPRESENT –

AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, I CAN SPEAK

FROM EXPERIENCE ON HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BEEN USED TO TARGET

MEMBERS OF THE MICHIGAN DELEGATION, INCLUDING A PLOT TO

KIDNAP OUR GOVERNOR, AND HOW IT CAN BE WEAPONIZED TO PERPETUATE

HARMS TOWARDS INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES.

AND YOU SAW IT FIRSTHAND HOW IT TARGETED THE CHAIR OF THIS

COMMITTEE. TODAY, MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ON

BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HAVE RAISED LEGITIMATE CONCERNS

ABOUT PROTECTING CHILDREN ONLINE, MISINFORMATION AND

SECURING OUR DATA. CONCERNS THAT I SHARE, THAT HAS

BEEN SAID BY MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, OUR BIPARTISANLY

SHARED. I THINK IN MANY WAYS, THESE

MYRIAD OF ISSUES HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE DATA

PRIVACY LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ENSURE THE SAFETY AND –

INTEGRITY OF EVERY AMERICAN’S DATA, ON EVERY SOCIAL MEDIA

PLATFORM, AND MITIGATE POTENTIAL HARM’S.

ONE IMPORTANT AREA OF CONCERN I HAVE REGARDING DATA COLLECTION

IS GEOLOCATION DATA. HOW IT CAN BE ABUSED.

I’VE SEEN IT ABUSED. I HAVE SEEN WOMEN DIE BECAUSE

IT HAS BEEN ABUSED. THE SUBJECT HAS DANGEROUS

IMPLICATIONS FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, PEOPLE

SEEKING MEDICAL CARE, AND PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM

POTENTIAL PREDATORS. MR. CHEW, IN YOUR TESTIMONY YOU

WROTE THAT CURRENT VERSIONS OF THE APP DO NOT COLLECT PRECISE

OR APPROXIMATE GPS INFORMATION FROM U.S. USERS.

YES OR NO ANSWERS, PLEASE. MR. CHEW, HAVE ANY PRIOR

VERSIONS OF TIKTOK’S APP COLLECTED PRECISE GPS

INFORMATION FROM U.S. USERS? YES OR NO?

YES, FROM BACK IN 2020. ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.

ARE THERE CURRENTLY TIKTOK USERS STILL OLD OLD VERSIONS OF

THE APP THAT COLLECT PRECISE GPS INFORMATION FROM U.S. USERS?

YES OR NO? » THERE COULD BE, BUT IT’S A

SMALL PERCENTAGE. » STILL DANGEROUS.

HAS TIKTOK, AT ANYTIME, HAD PRECISE GPS INFORMATION

COLLECTED FROM THE U.S. USERS INTO ALGORITHMS TO SERVE USER

ADS? YES OR NO?

I WOULD NEED TO CHECK ON THE DETAILS BECAUSE WE DO NOT

CURRENTLY COLLECT THAT, SO I NEED TO CHECK ON THE DETAILS.

YEAH, I’M SHORT THERE IS A YES THERE.

HAS TIKTOK AT ANY HAD PRECISE GPS INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM

U.S. USERS, INTO ALGORITHMS, TO MAKE INFERENCES ABOUT USERS?

YES OR NO? » I’M NOT SURE OF THE

SPECIFICS. » I WOULD LIKE ANSWERS.

YES OR NO. HAS TIKTOK AT ANYTIME SOLD

PRECISE GPS INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM U.S. USERS, YES

OR NO? » WE DO NOT SELL DATA TO SEE

DATA BROKERS IF THAT IS THE QUESTION.

AND YOU HAVE NEVER DONE THAT? » I DON’T BELIEVE SO.

HAS TIKTOK AT ANYTIME SHARED WITH THIRD PARTIES, INFLUENCES

THAT WERE MADE USING, IN PART OR IN WHOLE, PRECISE GPS

INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM U.S. USERS?

YES OR NO? » CONGRESSWOMAN, I NEED TO

CHECK ON THE SPECIFICS. BUT I CAN TELL YOU IS RIGHT NOW

WE DO NOT COLLECT PRECISE GPS LOCATION DATA IN THE UNITED

STATES. » ALL RIGHT.

DOES TIKTOK STILL USE INFERENCES THAT WERE MADE USING,

IN PART OR IN WHOLE, PRECISE GPS INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM

U.S. USERS? » I’M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT

THAT? » DOES TIKTOK STILL USE

INFERENCES THAT YOU HAVE GAINED, THAT WERE MADE USING IN PART OR

IN WHOLE, PRECISE GPS INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM U.S.

USERS? IN YOUR ALGORITHMS.

THAT WOULD BE A VERY TECHNICAL QUESTION THAT I WOULD

HAVE TO CHECK TO GET BACK TO YOU.

HAS TIKTOK AT ANY TIME PROVIDED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

WITH EITHER PRECISE GPS INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM U.S.

USERS, OR INFERENCES MADE FROM THAT DATA?

THAT I CAN GIVE YOU A STRAIGHT ANSWER.

NO. » MR. CHEW, EVEN IF CONGRESS

WERE TO BAN TIKTOK, I AM CONCERNED CHINA OR OTHERS WOULD

STILL HAVE ACCESS TO U.S. CONSUMER DATA BY PURCHASING IT

THROUGH DATA BROKERS. WILL YOU COMMIT NOT TO SELL ANY

OF TIKTOK DATA TO DATA BROKERS NOW OR IN THE FUTURE?

WE DO NOT DO THAT. WE DO NOT SELL DATA TO DATA

BROKERS NOW. » WILL YOU COMMIT TO NOT DO IT

IN THE FUTURE? » THERE ARE CERTAIN MEMBERS OF

THE INDUSTRY TO DO THIS. I THINK THIS HAS TO BE BROAD

LEGISLATION TO HELP THE WHOLE INDUSTRY ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.

I THINK I’M OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU.

MADAM CHAIR, I YIELD BACK. » THE GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.

THE CHAIR YIELD FIVE MINUTES TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM ALABAMA, MR.

PALMER. » THINK YOU.

WHEN THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT BOUGHT A SHARE

BYTEDANCE, IT’S BEEN DESCRIBED IS THE CHINESE COMMUNIST

GOVERNMENT’S WAY OF QUIET REFORM CONTROL.

AND COMPANIES HAVE LITTLE CHOICE AND SELLING A STAKE TO

THE GOVERNMENT. IF THEY WANT TO STAY IN

BUSINESS. WHAT I’D LIKE TO KNOW IS, WHEN

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY MOVED TO BUY SHARES OF

BYTEDANCE, WERE YOU INFORMED BEFOREHAND?

YES OR NO? » NO, CONGRESSMAN.

BYTEDANCE HASN’T – » WHERE YOU OR ANYONE AT

TIKTOK ASKED ABOUT YOUR OPINION OF THE SALE OF SHARES OF

BYTEDANCE TO THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT?

YES OR NO? » THIS HASN’T HAPPENED.

DID YOU OR ANYONE EMPLOYED BY OR AFFILIATED WITH TIKTOK

STATE ANY OBJECTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY

THAT THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT, ONCE THEY HAD

SHARES IN BYTEDANCE, EXERCISING CONTROL OVER CONTENT, USING

YOUR PLATFORM FOR CONDUCTING MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS, OR

RESTRICTIONS AND SHOWING NOTHING IS POSTED REFLECT BADLY

ON THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT, OR FOR SURVEILLANCE

AND DATA COLLECTION FOR USE AGAINST ANYONE?

DID ANY OF YOU OR ANYONE AFFILIATED WITH TIKTOK RAISE

ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT? » CONGRESSMAN, WE DO NOT –

I DID NOT ASK YOU THE. » WE DO NOT PROMOTE –

DID YOU RAISE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT IT BECAUSE THAT IS WHY WE

ARE HERE? » WE DO NOT PROMOTE OR REMOVE

– » I DID NOT ASK YOU THAT.

ON BEHALF OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

IF YOU COMMUNICATE IN ANY FORM OR FASHION WITH THE

DIRECTORS OF BYTEDANCE, THAT THERE MIGHT BE CONCERNS ABOUT

GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER CONTENT, YES OR NO?

YOU EITHER DID OR YOU DIDN’T. » CONGRESSMAN –

YOU DID. » I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR,

WE DO NOT REMOVE OR PROMOTE CONTENT AT THE REQUEST OF THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT. » TIKTOK INSIDERS HAVE ALREADY

SAID THAT THE COMPANY IS TIED AT CONTROLLED BY BYTEDANCE.

IT EVEN GETS DOWN TO THE HOURS THEY WORK.

SO OBVIOUSLY YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING.

THERE IS A SERIOUS CONCERN BY CHINESE COMPANIES, PRIVATELY

HELD COMPANIES, ABOUT DOING ANYTHING AGAINST WHAT THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT WANTS.

I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS. DOES TIKTOK SCREAM AGAINST

MANIPULATIVE CONTENT FROM CHILD PREDATORS?

YES OR NO? » WE SCREEN, YES.

DO YOU SCREEN – » WE DO.

– » HOW ABOUT DRUG CARTELS?

DRUG CARTELS, CHILD PREDATORS, THIS IS ALL

VIOLATED. » THE DRUG CARTEL IS ENGAGED

IN A POLICE CHASE WITH SPANISH AUTHORITIES AND POSTED IT ON

TIKTOK AND GOT OVER 1 MILLION VIEWS.

WHY WASN’T THAT TAKEN DOWN? AND ARE YOU DOING IT WITH HUMAN

TRAFFICKERS ARE TERRORISTS? DO YOU WITHHOLD CONTENT FROM

NATIONS THAT MIGHT BE COMMITTING CRIMES AGAINST

HUMANITY? YES OR NO?

CONGRESSMAN, OUR PLATFORM IS BASED ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

YES OR NO. I KNOW YOU TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT

YES OR NO? DO YOU SCREEN AGAINST CONTENT

FROM NATIONS THAT COMMIT CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY?

CONGRESSMAN, OUR USERS COME –

YES OR NO? YES OR NO?

YOU CAN PRESENT THE POINTS OF USE YOU WANT.

LET ME ASK YOU THIS. YOUR VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE

AMERICAS, IS HE PART OF THE TEAM THAT HELPED YOU PREPARE

FOR THIS MEETING? YES OR NO?

CAN I CLARIFY WHO YOU MEAN? » MICHAEL BECKERMAN.

YES, HE IS. » WHERE IS HE AT THIS MOMENT?

I’M SORRY? » WHERE IS MR. BECKERMAN AT

THIS MOMENT. » HE’S PROBABLY HERE.

NO, YOU KNOW HE’S HERE. HE’S SITTING RIGHT BEHIND YOU.

I WANT TO KNOW WHEN MR. BECKERMAN WAS ON WITH JAKE

TAPPER ON CNN AND ASKED REPEATEDLY TO CONDEMN CHINESE

COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT’S TREATMENT OF THE UYGHURS, WHEN

THE TREATMENT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED BY THE UNITED STATES

AS A GENOCIDE, BUT YOU DON’T REPORT CLASSIFIES IT AS A CRIME

AGAINST HUMANITY, WHY AFTER MULTIPLE QUESTIONS, MR.

RECOMMEND REFUSED TO ADDRESS THAT?

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT?

NO, BECAUSE YOU CAN FIND THE CONTENT ON OUR PLATFORM.

ANY CONTENT – » WHY COULDN’T YOUR VICE

PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC POLICY, THAT IS SET UP PUBLIC POLICY

PRETTY AMERICAS, IN AN AMERICAN, ON AMERICAN TELEVISION NEWS

CHANNEL, WHAT CAN HE SAY, WHY COULDN’T HE CONDEMN THAT?

I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT OUR PLATFORM.

IF YOU USE AND OPEN OUR APP AND SEARCH FOR ANY –

I’M NOT ASKING ABOUT YOUR PERSONNEL NOW.

PERSONNEL IS POLICY. EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM

UNDERSTANDS THAT, EXCEPT MAYBE YOU.

LET ME JUST CONCLUDE WITH THIS. AND I HATE TO BRING THIS UP,

BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF THE STEP OF SAID, DECEPTION IS

FUNDAMENTAL TO THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY’S POLITICAL,

INTELLIGENCE AND MILITARY STRATEGY.

AND YOU HAVE REPEATEDLY USED THE WORD TRANSPARENT THROUGHOUT

THIS HEARING. AND EVERY TIME YOU SAID IT,

WHAT I’VE HEARD IS DECEPTION. I YIELD BACK.

GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS MR. VEASEY FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. I HAVE GOT TO TELL YOU –

AS MR. CHEW, A FATHER OF A 16 YEAR OLD THAT LIKES SOCIAL

MEDIA A LOT OF YOUR EVASIVENESS TODAY IN ANSWERING MANY OF

THESE QUESTIONS REALLY DISTURBS ME.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE TEENAGERS OF TODAY, THEY REALLY

DON’T WANT TO BE ON FACEBOOK. THEY WANT YOUR PLATFORM.

YOU ARE ASKED TO COME BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE TO TESTIFY ABOUT

MANY THINGS. A LOT OF US ARE WORRIED ABOUT

OUR KIDS, OUR PERSONAL DATA. AS THE CO-CHAIR OF THE

CONGRESSIONAL VOTING RIGHTS CAUCUS, I’M ALSO WORRIED THAT

TIKTOK IS THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL, AND EXTENSIVE,

PROPAGANDA MACHINE, ALLOWING THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TO

USE TIKTOK’S PLATFORM TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION AND

UNDERMINE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.

I HAVE A REPORT CALLED, TIKTOK AND FACEBOOK FAILED TO DETECT

ELECT ELECTION DISINFORMATION IN THE U.S. WHILE YOUTUBE

SUCCEEDS. THIS WAS PUBLISHED BY THE NON

PROFIT – SOCIETY TEAM AT NYU.

THE PURPOSE OF THE TESTS TO DETECT PLATFORMS LIKE TIKTOK

AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN DETECT AND TAKE FALSE POLITICAL

ADS TARGETED AT U.S. VOTERS, YOUNG VOTERS, AHEAD OF LAST

YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS. ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT 94% OF

ELECTION DISINFORMATION ADS TESTED WERE APPROVED BY YOUR

PLATFORM. AGAIN, THAT IS 90% OF ADS

CONTAINING FALSE AND MISLEADING ELECTION INFORMATION WENT

UNDETECTED ON TIKTOK. JUST TO ADD SOME COLOR TO THE

TYPE OF MISLEADING ADS THAT WERE APPROVED BY TIKTOK THIS

INCLUDED ADS THAT WE’RE LIVE ON TIKTOK THAT SAID THE WRONG

ELECTION DAY. AND I CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO

VOTE TWICE. YOU DO KNOW THAT VOTING TWICE

AS A FELONY, MR. CHEW? YOU DO KNOW THAT IT IS ILLEGAL

TO VOTE TWICE? » CONGRESSMAN, ANY

MISINFORMATION THAT COMES AROUND POLITICAL ACTION IS

SOMETHING WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY.

I AM PARTICULARLY TROUBLED BY THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION

BECAUSE IT CAN RUN RAMPANT ON TIKTOK.

GIVEN THAT TIKTOK, AGAIN, Y’ALL ARE APPEALING TO A VERY YOUNG

AND DIVERSE USER BASE. THAT IS EXACTLY THE PEOPLE THAT

WE HAVE SEEN TARGETED, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WITH VOTER

SUPPRESSION CAMPAIGNS RUN BY MALICIOUS ACTORS.

MR. CHEW, DO YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT IT IS COMPLETELY

UNACCEPTABLE THAT 90% OF THESE ADS WERE UNDETECTED ON YOUR

PLATFORM. CAN YOU DETAIL FOR US, RIGHT

NOW, TIKTOK’S POLICY REGARDING ELECTION MISINFORMATION AND

PAID POLITICAL ADS AND HOW THE COMPANY MONITOR SUCH

INFORMATION AND HOW YOU PLAN TO GET THAT NUMBER DOWN TO ZERO?

AND WHILE, TIKTOK IS A PLACE WHERE I USE IT TO COME AND

EXPRESS THEIR POINTS OF VIEW FREELY.

WE DO TAKE DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION, PARTICULARLY

AROUND ELECTION, VERY SERIOUSLY.

WE WILL WORK WITH THIRD-PARTY EXPERTS TO IDENTIFY

MISINFORMATION – » YOU CALL ALLOWING 90% OF

FALSE POLITICAL CONTENT ON YOUR PLATFORM TO BE, YOU CALL THAT,

YOU DEFINE THAT AS, TAKING IT SERIOUSLY?

I NEED TO LOOK INTO THE SPECIFICS.

I AM NOT SURE WHERE THAT NUMBER CAME FROM.

I CAN TELL YOU, CONGRESSMAN, I’M THE ONLY PLATFORM THAT I

KNOW THAT DOESN’T ACTUALLY TAKE POLITICAL ADS.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT MONEY. I DON’T THINK OTHER PLATFORMS

CAN SAY THAT. » MR. CHEW, CAN YOU DETAIL HOW

YOU RESPONDED TO THAT REPORT? DID YOU RESPOND TO THAT REPORT

I JUST MENTIONED? » I NEED TO LOOK AT THE

SPECIFICS OF THE REPORT, CONGRESSMAN.

I CAN GET BACK HERE ON THAT. » MR. CHEW, I WANT TO SHIFT TO

PROJECT TEXAS. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED

THIS INITIATIVE THROUGHOUT TODAY’S HEARING BUT I WANT TO

DIVE DEEPER INTO YOUR NOTION THAT PROMISES ABOUT PROJECT

TEXAS SHOULD GIVE US ANY CONFIDENCE IN TIKTOK’S ABILITY

TO LOCALIZE U.S. DATA AND DISCONTINUE ACCESS TO THAT DATA

TO BYTEDANCE EMPLOYEES AND CHINA.

WHY? BECAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY HAD A

TIKTOK EXECUTIVE APPEAR BEFORE CONGRESS AND GIVE SWORN

TESTIMONY ABOUT THE COMFORT WE SHOULD TAKE IN TIKTOK’S U.S.

BASED RESOURCES. WHILE TIKTOK DATA SECURITY

PRACTICES WERE BEING SCRUTINIZED BY THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT FROM A –

FROM JOURNALISTS IN RECORDED CONVERSATIONS THAT THOSE

ASSURANCES WERE WORTHLESS. IN YOUR TESTIMONY YOU ALSO

MENTIONED THAT ORACLE HAS ALREADY BEGUN INSPECTING TIKTOK

SOURCE CODE AND HAS ACCESS TO THE PLATFORMS RECOMMENDATION

ALGORITHM. WHY SHOULD THIS GIVE THE

AMERICAN PUBLIC ANY GREAT ASSURANCES, PARTICULARLY GIVEN

THAT ORACLE NOW OWNS A STAKE IN TIKTOK AND STANDS TO GAIN

MILITARILY THE MORE REVENUE TIKTOK AND ITS ALGORITHM

GENERATES? » NOT ONLY IS TIKTOK

UNPRECEDENTED IN PROTECTING USER DATA IN INTEREST, WE ARE

INVITING FOR POLITICS TO COME IN AND MONITOR THIS.

WE WILL BE TRANSPARENT IN THAT PROCESS.

THIS IS BEYOND MOST, ALL COMPANIES THAT I KNOW OF IN OUR

INDUSTRY. » THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

I AM OUT OF TOWN. » THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA FOR FIVE

MINUTES, MR. DONE. » THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM

CHAIR. MR. I AM AWARE THAT ARRIVING IN

D.C. THIS WEEK YOU ARRIVED ON TIKTOK.

YOU HAD 150 MILLION U.S. USERS. 5 MILLION U.S. BUSINESSES.

THAT REPRESENTS A LOT OF DATA. YOU ALSO REFERENCED YOUR

APPEARANCE BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE AS A CHANCE TO SHARE

ALL THAT TIKTOK IS DOING TO PROTECT AMERICANS FROM USING

THE APP. MR. CHEW, HAS BYTEDANCE SPIED

ON AMERICANS AT THE DIRECTION OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY?

NO. » MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO

ENTER INTO THE RECORD THIS OCTOBER 20TH 22 FORBES ARTICLE

ENTITLED TIKTOK PARENT BYTEDANCE PLANS TO USE TIKTOK

TO MONITOR PHYSICAL LOCATION OF SPECIFIC U.S. CITIZENS.

WITHOUT OBJECTION. SO ORDERED.

THANK YOU. THE PROJECT IS CITING THAT THIS

BEIJING LEAGUE TEAM WE’RE GOING TO FOLLOW INDIVIDUAL AMERICAN

CITIZENS. I ASK YOU AGAIN, MR. CHEW, HAS

BYTEDANCE SPIED ON AMERICAN CITIZENS.

I DO NOT THINK THAT SPYING IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DESCRIBE

IT. THIS IS –

WE CAN DIFFER ON THE. » THIS IS ULTIMATELY AN

INTERNAL INVESTIGATION. » ANY TIKTOK A BYTEDANCE DATA

THAT IS VIEWED, STORED, OR PASSENGER CHINA IS SUBJECT TO

THE LAW OF CHINA. ONE PARTY AUTHORITARIAN STATE

HOSTILE TO ALL AMERICAN STANDARDS OF PRIVACY.

CHINA’S COURT SYSTEM REPORTEDLY FALLS UNDER THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY. LIKE FENTANYL ANALOGUES WHICH

WE KNOW ARE ALSO MANUFACTURED IN CHINA, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE

ILLEGAL THERE, I FEAR TIKTOK WILL GROW INTO A MUCH BIGGER

PROBLEM. A CANCER, IF YOU WILL.

I’M DEEPLY WORRIED THAT IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO STOP THE SPREAD

OF THIS CANCER. LIKE FENTANYL, ANOTHER CHINA

EXPORT, WHICH CAUSES ADDICTION AND DEATH, DANGEROUS ALGORITHMS

IN THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY ARE NOT GOOD FOR AMERICANS.

NOT GOOD FOR OUR FAMILIES. AND DEFINITELY NOT GOOD FOR THE

UNITED STATES.

MR. CHEW, PRIOR TO SERVING AS THE CFO BYTEDANCE, YOU SERVED

AS THE CFL DIRECTOR OPERATIONS FROM SHELBY FROM 2015 TO 2021.

IS THAT CORRECT? » ARE YOU ASKING ME IN 2015,

WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING THAT? » MADAM CHAIR –

I WOULD LIKE TO ENTER ANOTHER ARTICLE INTO EVIDENCE.

THIS IS FROM THE NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY CENTER IN

LITHUANIA. » WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO

ORDERED. » THIS REPORT OUTLINES

NUMEROUS DATA SECURITY RISKS INCLUDING THE PRIVACY OF

EUROPEAN YEARS WAS VIOLATED IN CLEAR CASES OF ON AUTHORIZED

COLLECTION OF USER DATA BY SHOW ME.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN TALKING

ABOUT TODAY. WORSE YET, SHOW ME PHONES SOLD

TO EUROPEANS HAD A LIST OF 449 WORDS AND PHRASES WHICH WOULD

BE AUTOMATICALLY CENSORED ON THE DEVICE.

CENSORED PHRASES INCLUDED, THE VOICE OF AMERICA, AND

DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT, AMONG OTHERS.

THIS ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED ON DEVICES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED

AND SOLD EUROPEANS WHILE YOU WERE THE HEAD OF OPERATIONS FOR

SHOW ME. IT DOES NOT FOLLOW THAT YOU

EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD NOT CENSOR, ON BEHALF OF

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY, SINCE YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE SO.

I WANT TO BE UNEQUIVOCAL ON THIS.

WE DO NOT MOVE TIKTOK CONTENT –

YOU STRIVE ON YOUR MISSION TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY BRING JOY

TO AMERICAN USERS. I ASSURE YOU THAT THAT IS NOT

THE MISSION OR GOAL OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY WHICH

RUNS THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA BUT TIKTOK’S PARENT

COMPANY BYTEDANCE IS DOMICILED. AND » CHARM AND YOU CAN CHECK

WITH OUR USERS TO SEE THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY ARE

GETTING. » THE KNEE YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN

STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWERS. WE DO NOT FIND YOU CREDIBLE ON

THESE THINGS. WITH THAT, MADAM CHAIR.

I WOULD LIKE TO YIELD THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.

CONGRESSMAN YOU’VE GIVEN ME NO TIME AND YOUR QUESTIONS.

I REJECT THE CHARACTERIZATIONS. » WHO ARE YOU APPEALING TO,

DR. DUNN? MR. OBERNOLTE?

I THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. CHEW I WOULD LIKE TO

CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION ON PROJECT TEXAS, IF WE COULD.

PART OF THE PROJECT TEXAS WAS INTERVIEWERS IN ORACLE WOULD –

CONFIRM THAT THEY WERE FREE OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE.

I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A I, I

VERY GENERIC TERM. DO YOU USE MACHINE LEARNING TO

INFLUENCE THE ALGORITHMS AT TIKTOK?

THIS GETS VERY TECHNICAL, WE HAVE PUBLISHED SEVERAL BLOCKS

ABOUT THIS WHICH I CAN FORWARD TO YOUR TEAM.

YES IT IS MAINLY BASED ON INTERESTS SIGNALS.

HERE IS MY QUESTION, HOW COULD LOOKING AT THE ALGORITHM

CONFIRM THAT IT IS FREE FROM FLOOR AND INFLUENCE?

THE ALGORITHM IS NEURAL THAT ARCHITECTURE –

HOW DO YOU TRAIN THAT? THE INFLUENCE IS AN EXTERNAL

FACTOR. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF HE

COULD GIVE US – I SEE WE ARE OUT OF TIME AGAIN.

A WRITTEN ANSWER TO THAT. AGAIN, I’M CONCERNED THAT WHAT

YOU ARE PROPOSING WITH TOP PROJECT TEXAS JUST DOESN’T HAVE

THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY OF PROVIDING US THE ASSURANCES

THAT WE NEED. I YIELD BACK, MADAM CHAIR.

GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MISS CASTOR,

MISS CUSTER IS NOT HERE. MISS BARRAGAN FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. » MR. CHEW, TIKTOK WARNS USERS

WHEN CONTENT IS GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING UNLABELED STATE

AFFILIATED MEDIA COUNTS TO ENSURE THE VIEWERS ARE NOT

SEEING PROPAGANDA. DOES TIKTOK PROVIDE SIMILAR

INFORMATION TO SPANISH SPEAKING USERS, AS WELL AS ENGLISH

SPEAKING USERS? » I BELIEVE SO, CONGRESSMAN.

I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

OKAY. DO YOU KNOW IF TIKTOK HAS A

SPECIFIC STRATEGY FOR TACKLING SPANISH LANGUAGE CONTENT THAT

VIOLATES ITS TRUST AND SAFETY GUIDELINES?

WE DO. I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE

SPECIFICS ON THAT. » WHEN OFFENSIVE ENGLISH

LANGUAGE SUCH TERMS ARE HASHTAGS OR BLOCK FOR VIOLATING

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES IN ENGLISH, IT’S A SPANISH TRANSLATION OF

THE TERM OF PSYCH AUTOMATICALLY BLOCKED AS WELL?

I BELIEVE SO. BUT LET ME CHECK THE SPECIFICS

AND GET BACK TO YOU. » DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW

MANY PEOPLE YOU HAVE LIGHT WORKING AT TIKTOK THAT

ADDRESSES SPANISH MISINFORMATION?

I KNOW BALLPARK IT IS QUITE A SIGNIFICANT TEAM.

I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE DETAILS.

HE SAID SIGNIFICANT, ARE YOU SAYING IT’S –

YOU HAVE A BALLPARK AT ALL THAT YOU CAN GIVE US?

WOULD YOU SAY 10% OF YOUR FORCE OR, IT IS AN IMPORTANT NUMBER

SO I WANT TO BE PRECISE. I CAN GO BACK TO YOU.

DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW HOW TIKTOK, IF TIKTOK EFFECTIVELY

ENSURE THAT SPANISH SPEAKING EITHER IS BETWEEN THE AGES OF

13 17 AND NOT BEING TARGETED BY ADS PROMOTING HARMFUL CONTENT?

WE HAVE VERY STRICT POLICIES FOR OUR USERS WHO ARE IN THE

TEENAGE AGE GROUP. REGARDLESS OF WHAT LANGUAGE

THEY SPEAK. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY

ARE GIVEN A VERY SAFE EXPERIENCE ON OUR PLATFORM,

REGARDLESS OF LANGUAGE SAY – » I KNOW.

I AM TRYING TO ASCERTAIN RESOURCES YOU MAY BE PUTTING

INTO SPANISH SPEAKING, AND SPANISH LANGUAGE.

LAST YEAR THE CONGRESSIONAL SPANISH CONGRESS MET WITH

TIKTOK. THIS WAS ONE OF THE

CONVERSATIONS AND A SOURCE OF THE DISCUSSION, ADDRESSING

SPANISH LANGUAGE DISINFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION.

IT REMAINS AN URGENT PRIORITY FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC

CAUCUS AS HISPANICS ACROSS THE COUNTRY INCREASINGLY TURNED

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR VIOLENT FORMATION.

WE HEARD EARLIER IN THE HEARING THAT THERE WAS VIDEO –

A TIKTOK POST THREATENING THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.

IT TOOK SOME 40 DAYS TO TAKE IT DOWN.

I GUESS I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED. IF YOUR TEAM DOESN’T HAVE THE

RESOURCES AND THE CAPABILITY TO FLAG THAT, WHAT KIND OF

CAPABILITY IS IT GOING TO HAVE TO BRING DOWN MISINFORMATION,

DISINFORMATION, TWO SPANISH SPEAKERS, WHICH I AM ASSUMING

IS A SMALLER FRACTION OF THE WORKERS THAT YOU HAVE TIKTOK.

TO TALK IS A PLACE FOR, ALL OF OUR USERS TO COME AND

EXPRESS THEIR VERY DIVERSE VIEWS.

WE ARE OPEN TO ALL ETHNICITIES, WE ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE TO COME

AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. IT IS OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURE

THAT THE SAFETY OF THOSE USERS, REGARDLESS OF THE LANGUAGE, OF

COURSE THE SPANISH LANGUAGE USER BASE IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO

US. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE

CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THAT. » YOU DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER

THEM? OKAY, I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO

YOU’RE COMING BACK. WE HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE

CONCERNS ABOUT CHILDREN WHO MAY BE ON TIKTOK.

MR. CHEW, AT WHAT AGE DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE

FOR A YOUNG PERSON TO GET ON TIKTOK?

WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES HERE IN THE UNITED

STATES. THERE IS AN EXPERIENCE FOR

UNDER 13 – » I’M ASKING WHAT YOU THINK

WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE AGE TO HAVE A CHILD GET ON TIKTOK?

OUR APPROACH IS TO DIFFERENT DIFFERENT SHADED EXPERIENCES

FOR DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS AND THAT THE PARENTS HAVE A

CONVERSATION WITH THEIR CHILDREN TO DECIDE WHAT IS BEST

WITH THEIR FAMILY. » SO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS A

SUFFICIENT SAFETY MECHANISM FOR AN EIGHT YEAR OLD TO BE ABLE TO

ACCESS TIKTOK? » AN EIGHT YEAR OLDS

EXPERIENCE WOULD BE SO HIGHLY RESTRICTED THAT EVERY SINGLE

PIECE OF CONTENT THAT HE OR SHE WILL SEE WILL BE DICTATED BY

COMMON SENSE, OR THIRD-PARTY CHILD SAFETY EXPERTS, AND THE

EIGHT YEAR OLD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO POST.

THE EIGHT YEAR OLD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANY PERSON LIVE

FEED. ZERO ADVERTISING IN THAT

EXPERIENCE. I BELIEVE, YES, IT IS AN

APPROPRIATE EXPERIENCE FOR THE YEAR OLD.

WHY DON’T YOU LET YOUR EIGHT YEAR OLD CHILD ON TIKTOK?

I HAVE SEEN THESE NEWS ARTICLES.

I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT. MY KIDS LIVE IN SINGAPORE.

AT SINGAPORE WE DO NOT HAVE THE UNDER 13 EXPERIENCE.

IF THEY LIVED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES I WOULD LET THEM

USE THE UNDER 13 EXPERIENCE. » YOU’RE SAYING IT IS BECAUSE

THE COUNTRY YOU LIVE AND DOESN’T HAVE THOSE SAME

MECHANISMS? IS THERE A REASON YOU DO NOT

HAVE THE SAME MECHANISMS EVERYWHERE?

IN PRINCIPLE WE WANT TO PROVIDE A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR

OUR USERS IN GENERAL. WE DO NOT WANT TO MONETIZE FROM

PEOPLE UNDER 13. IN THE U.S. WE ARE –

COMPLIANT. PART OF THAT WE WOULD DEEM, I

WOULD LIKE TO GET THE SPECIFICS RIGHT, WE WOULD DEEM PARTICULAR

TYPE OF AUDIENCE, IT’S A MIXED AUDIENCE AT.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT’S RIGHT.

AS A RESULT OF THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE ARE UNDER 13 USERS, AS

WELL. » MY TIME IS EXPIRED.

THANK YOU, YIELD BACK. » –

YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLEMAN FROM UTAH, MR. CURSE. » MR. CHEW MINE CHILDREN ARE

GETTING READY TO RUN A MARATHON.

I NOTICE THAT THEY WILL BE RUNNING FOR ABOUT AS LONG AS

YOU’LL BE SITTING IN THAT CHAIR TODAY.

UNFORTUNATELY I ONLY GET YOU FOR FIVE MINUTES INSTEAD OF A

MARATHON I WOULD LIKE TO DO A SPRINT WITH YOU.

I WANT TO GO BACK UP TO THAT 30,000 FEET LEVEL.

WOULD YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT SECTION 230 WAS CREATED TO

PROTECT PLATFORMS LIKE YOURS FROM LAWSUITS WHEN YOU

DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION? » –

DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE IT. » I UNDERSTAND.

YEAH. » SO WOULD YOU AGREE THAT

THERE IS A LINE DRAWN BETWEEN PUBLISHERS OF INFORMATION AND

DISTRIBUTORS OF INFORMATION, SPECIFICALLY IN THE SECTION 230

LANGUAGE. » I THINK THAT 2:30 THE

RE-COMPLEX TOPIC. » REMEMBER, BUT REMEMBER WE

ARE AT 30,000 FEET. YOU’RE PLATFORM DISTRIBUTES

CONTENT THAT OTHER PEOPLE CONTENT.

ONE OF THE EARLY CHALLENGES TO SECTION 230 WAS WHEN A

WELL-REFUSED TO TAKE DOWN A POST OF SOMEBODY THAT HAD

INAPPROPRIATELY PUT DOWN A PHONE NUMBER, ASSOCIATED THE

PHONE NUMBER WITH OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBINGS.

THE COURTS RULED A WHALE WAS NOT LIABLE FOR THAT POST,

BECAUSE OF SECTION 230. I WANT TO DO A HYPOTHETICAL –

WHO I’M GOING TO DO THE ABSURD TO TRY TO MAKE A POINT.

HERE LET’S SUPPOSE, HYPOTHETICALLY, THAT AOL,

INSTEAD OF JUST POSTING THAT ACTUALLY WANTED TO MAGNIFY THAT

VOICE. THEY TOOK OUT AN AD IN THE WALL

STREET JOURNAL LINKING THE PHONE NUMBER WITH THE OKLAHOMA

CITY BOMBING. BUT SUPPOSED AND STOP THERE,

BUT THEY WENT FURTHER AND THEY TOOK OUT A SUPER BOWL AD

LINKING THAT PHONE NUMBER TO THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING.

LET’S SUPPOSE, HYPOTHETICALLY, THEY DIDN’T STOP THERE.

THEY SENT A FLYER TO EVERY HOME IN AMERICA LINKING THAT PHONE

NUMBER TO THE OKLAHOMA BOMBING. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WOULD

AOL HAVE MOVED FROM A DISTRIBUTOR TO A PUBLISHER IN

THIS MADE-UP EXAMPLE? » CONGRESSMAN, RESPECTFULLY I

– » I THINK EVERYONE CAN SEE

THAT THEY WOULD. THIS IS NOT OUR QUESTION,

MOVING THAT FAR AWAY FROM INTENT WOULD’VE MOVED INTO

PUBLISHER. MY QUESTION IS, PLATFORMS ARE

PROTECTED BECAUSE THEY POST CONTENT.

BUT I WANT THIS ROOM TO SEE, NOT JUST VIEW, THAT THE

PROTECTION HAS LIMITS. IF A WILL MOVE TO A DISTRIBUTOR,

INSTEAD OF A PUBLISHER, THEY MOVE OUTSIDE OF THOSE LIMITS.

LET’S TALK ALGORITHM SUPER QUICKLY.

WE HAVE THROWN THAT WORD AROUND A LOT TODAY.

LET ME HEAR AGAIN, 30,000 FEET, WE WILL USE ANOTHER PLATFORM SO

IT’S NOT SENSITIVE. PINTEREST.

I LIKE TO GO ON PINTEREST. MY WIFE AND I ARE BUILDING A

HOME. BUILDING A YARD RIGHT NOW.

IF YOU WENT ON MY PINTEREST PAGE YOU WOULD SEE SWING STATS

AND THINGS MADE FOR MY GRANDKIDS.

ANOTHER HYPOTHETICAL, LET’S SUPPOSE THAT THERE IS SOME

DUBIOUS INTENT INSIDE OF PINTEREST.

THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO INFLUENCE JOHN CURTIS WITH

THESE ALGORITHMS. THEY WANT ME TO BELIEVE IT IS

THE END OF THE WORLD. ALL THE SUDDEN NOW I’M BUYING

BOMB SHELTERS INSTEAD OF SWING SETS FOR MY KIDS.

HAVE THEY BECOME A PUBLISHER? AND SHOULD NOT BE PROTECTED BY

SECTION 230? IF YOU DON’T CONFIDENT –

I’M PRETTY SURE THE ROOM UNDERSTANDS THAT THEY ACROSS

THE SLANT. YOU CAN TELL ME IF YOU THINK

THEY HAVE OR NOT. » CONGRESSMAN, I WOULD HAVE TO

STUDY THAT SPECIFIC EXAMPLE AND GO BACK TO YOU.

IT’S A HYPOTHETICAL BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT AT SOME POINT THEY

HAVE CROSSED A LINE. THEY HAVE BECOME A PUBLISHER

AND A DISTRIBUTOR. WE HAVE TOUCHED ON THIS TODAY

BUT I WANT TO BE SUPER SPECIFIC.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT TIKTOK HAD ENOUGH DATA, COULD GET ENOUGH

DATA ON ME BUT YOU COULD USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND

YOUR ALGORITHMS, AND MACHINE LEARNING TO WRITE AN ALGORITHM

THAT COULD PERSUADE ME TO CHANGE HOW I VIEW A POLICY

ISSUE? » DOES THAT POSSIBILITY EXIST?

– I WILL STAY VERY HIGH-LEVEL.

THE WAY WE LOOK AT IT IS OUR USERS COME IN AND EXPRESS

WHATEVER VIEWS THEY WANT. » THAT IS NOT THE POINT.

THE POINT IS YOU COULD WRITE AN ALGORITHM THAT COULD CHANGE.

WE’VE ACTUALLY SEEN THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTED TO

STOP THE MUELLER CAMPAIGN SHOWS HOW TIKTOKERS ARE ATTACKING

CLIMATE CHANGE. I THINK THAT IS FINE AND GOOD

UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS INTERJECTED INTO THAT AND MAGNIFIED OR

DIMINISHED VOICES IN THAT. WHAT I AM PROPOSING TO YOU

TODAY IS THAT PUSHES THEM ACROSS THE LINE FROM A

DISTRIBUTOR TO A PUBLISHER IF THEY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AGAINST YOUR PLATFORM, AND

OTHERS. MANY OF THEM HERE TODAY.

YOU ARE NOT NEW TO THESE ALLEGATIONS.

THIS IS NOT A PLATFORM. SOMETIME AGO THERE WAS AN

ALLEGATION THAT A PLATFORM RECOMMENDED ISOLATED VIDEOS.

WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE WEIGHT LOSS.

VIDEOS WE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT IT BUT STEALING THE ELECTIONS.

WHATEVER THE MOTIVATION, I AM TRYING TO POINT OUT THAT AS YOU

MOVE BY A PUBLISHER BY MANIPULATING THIS DATA WITH

ALGORITHMS THE MOVE OUT OF THE PROTECTION TO 30.

DO YOU SEE THAT LOGIC? » THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX –

I UNDERSTAND IT’S VERY COMPLEX.

BUT DO YOU SEE THE LOGIC? IN YOUR MIND, HAS TIKTOK EVER

STUFF TO CROSS THE LINE FROM E DISTRIBUTOR TO A PUBLISHER?

CONGRESSMAN, AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX TOPIC.

I WOULD NEED TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT. FINALLY, VERY QUICKLY, YOU

PRODUCED A VIDEO THAT IS NOW WELL KNOWN ABOUT YOUR BEAUTY

HERE TODAY IN WASHINGTON D.C.. CAN YOU TELL ME, 100%, THAT NO

TIKTOK EMPLOYEES MANUALLY MANIPULATED THAT TO GET NO

VIEWS? » I TRACKED.

AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE WAS NO BOOSTING.

I WENT VIRAL ORGANICALLY. » MADAM CHAIR, I’M SORRY I AM

OUT OF TIME. I YIELD MY TIME.

THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MISS ROCHESTER FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. MR. CHEW, AS I AM SURE YOU KNOW,

THIS HEARING IS PART OF AN ONGOING EFFORT BY A COMMITTEE

TO EXAMINE DATA SECURITY AND OTHER CONCERNS WITH SOCIAL

MEDIA COMPANIES BROADLY. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I CAME

TO THIS HEARING INTERESTED TO HEAR THE ACTIONS THAT TIKTOK IS

TAKING TO COMBAT MISINFORMATION, PROTECT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, AND

ENSURE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. I HAVE NOT BEEN REASSURED BY

ANYTHING YOU SAID SO FAR. I THINK, QUITE FRANKLY, YOUR

TESTIMONY HAS RAISED MORE QUESTIONS FOR ME THAN ANSWERS.

AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY NOTED, FLAT FORMS LIKE

TIKTOK AND EASILY MANIPULATE AND UNDERMINE USER AUTONOMY

WITH ADDICTIVE FEATURES, INVASIVE DATA COLLECTION

PRACTICES, AND DISSEMINATING MISINFORMATION AND

DISINFORMATION. THAT IS WHY I WILL BE

REINTRODUCING THE DETOUR ACT TO MITIGATE THIS HARM.

MR. CHEW, YES OR NO, WOULD YOU OPPOSE LEGISLATION THAT BANNED

THE USE OF INTENTIONALLY MANIPULATIVE DESIGN TECHNIQUES

THAT TRICK USERS INTO GIVING UP THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

IN PRINCIPLE – » IT’S JUST A YES OR NO.

IN PRINCIPLE I AGREE THAT THAT KIND OF PRACTICE CANNOT –

CAN TIKTOK USERS OPT OUT OF TARGETED ADS, YES OR NO?

AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME WE BELIEVE IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT

PART OF THE EXPERIENCE. » YES OR NO.

TIME IS TICKING. » IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF

THE EXPERIENCE. » EVEN IF SOMEONE WANTS

TARGETED ADS, DO YOU GIVE A USER CLEAR OPPORTUNITY TO

PREVENT TIKTOK FROM USING TOOLS LIKE PIXELS TO COLLECT THEIR

DATA AND TRACK THEM OFF OF THE TIKTOK PLATFORM?

WE GIVE OUR USERS A LOT OF TOOLS TO CONTROL THEIR PRIVACY

SETTINGS ON OUR APP. BY THE WAY, IF YOU ARE BELOW 16

IT IS PRIVATE BY DEFAULT. » AS OF 2022 RESPONSE TO A

LETTER I WROTE TO YOUR COMPANY ON ABORTION MISINFORMATION,

TIKTOK ASSERTED SEVERAL ACTIONS TO ADDRESS ABORTION

MISINFORMATION. IN LIGHT OF RECENT ATTACKS ON

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE MEDICATION ABORTION, I REMAINED WORRIED BY

THIS MISINFORMATION. FOLLOWING ON THE JETS

QUESTIONED, HOW MANY POSTAGE ACTUALLY TAKE DOWN THAT

CONTAINED ABORTION MISINFORMATION?

CONTENT AND VIEWS ON BOTH SIDES OF ABORTION ARE ALLOWED

ON OUR PLATFORM. IT IS JUST FREEDOM OF

EXPRESSION. IF IT IS DANGEROUS

MISINFORMATION WE RELY ON THIRD-PARTY EXPERTS TO IDENTIFY

AND REMOVE. THEM I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON

SPECIFICS. » PLEASE GET BACK TO US ON THE

SPECIFICS. MR. CHEW, IN YOUR TESTIMONY YOU

INDICATED TIKTOK HAS TAKEN SEVERAL STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

PROJECT TEXAS. YOU SAID YOU SPENT, IN YOUR

TESTIMONY, 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS. YOU HAVE HIRED 1500 FULL-TIME

EMPLOYEES. CAN I ASK FOR SOME SPECIFICS

ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION? THIS 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS, WHAT

WAS A USE FOR? THE EMPLOYEES?

WHERE THE PEOPLE YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT YOU TRANSFERRED OVER?

WHAT TYPES OF RULES DO THEY HAVE?

OKAY. THIS BILLION AND A HALF U.S.

DOLLARS ARE SPREAD ACROSS MANY THINGS INCLUDING THE

INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE TO BUILD, THE MIGRATION OF THE DATA TO A

NEW CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL OF THE THIRD PARTY SECURITY

PARTNERS WE ARE HIRING, AND OF COURSE THE NEW EMPLOYEES.

THIS TEAM WILL NOW BE RUN BY A GENTLEMAN WHO USED TO BE –

WHO SPENT HIS CAREER AS A CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER WITH OTHER

COMPANIES. ANOTHER GENTLEMAN WHO USED TO

WORK, I BELIEVE – » IF YOU COULD JUST FOLLOW UP

WITH US? THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

I WILL. » WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO

UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS. WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING?

HOW MANY PEOPLE? WHAT WILL THEY BE DOING?

AS I PUT A FINER POINT ON THIS, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS, WE CAME

HERE HOPING TO TAKE SOME ACTIONS THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE

OUR CONCERTS AT FEARS WE. HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS, WE HAVE A

LOT OF FOLKS HERE THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE CONTENT

CREATORS. FOR US WE WERE LOOKING FOR

ACTION. WE WANTED TO SEE, MAKE US FEEL

LIKE WE REALLY CAN TRUST, AS YOU USE THE WORD.

WHAT I LEAVE HERE WITH IS THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT

YOUR COMPANY – I LEARNED THAT YOU HAVE

PERSONALIZED DATA ADVERTISING FOR KIDS AS YOUNG AS 13.

WE HAVE HEARD UNTIL PROJECT TEXAS IS SUPPOSEDLY STOOD UP

ENGINEERS AND TO HAVE ACCESS TO PERSONAL DATA.

THAT MEANS THE ENGINEERS AND CHINA HAVE ACCESS TO PERSONAL

DATA OF 13-YEAR-OLDS IN THE UNITED STATES.

I THINK BUT THAT REALLY SUMMARIZES WHY YOU SEE SO MUCH

BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS AND CONCERN ABOUT YOUR COMPANY.

I IMAGINE THAT THAT IS NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, I YIELD BACK.

THE GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK. YIELD TO THE LADY FROM ARIZONA,

MS. LESKO FOR FIVE MINUTES. » THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

MR. CHEW, DO YOU AGREE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS

PERSECUTED THE UYGHUR POPULATIONS?

CONGRESSWOMAN, IF YOU USE OUR APP AND YOU OPEN IT YOU

WILL FIND OUR USERS WHO GET ALL SORTS OF CONTENT.

THAT IS NOT MY QUESTION. DO YOU AGREE THAT THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT HAS PERSECUTED THE UYGHUR POPULATION?

IT IS DEEPLY CONCERNING TO HEAR ABOUT ALL ACCOUNTS OF

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE. MY ROLE HERE IS TO EXPLAIN WHAT

OUR PLATFORM DOES. » I THINK YOU’RE BEING A

BASES. IT IS A PRETTY EASY QUESTION.

DO YOU AGREE THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS PERSECUTED THE

UYGHUR POPULATION. » CONGRESSWOMAN, I’M HERE TO

DESCRIBE TO TALKING WHAT WE DO AS A PLATFORM.

AS A PLATFORM WE ALLOW USERS TO FREELY –

WHAT WE HEARD TODAY, WELL, YOU DIDN’T ANSWER THE QUESTION.

EARLIER TODAY CHAIRMAN ROGERS ASKED YOU, AND I QUOTE, HAVE

ANY MODERATION TOOLS BEEN USED TO REMOVE CONTENT ASSOCIATED

WITH THE UYGHUR GENOCIDE, YES OR NO?

YOUR ANSWER, WE DO NOT REMOVE THAT KIND OF CONTENT.

YET, IN 2019 TIKTOK SUSPENDED THE ACCOUNT OF FEROZA AS THESE,

AND AMERICAN 17 YEAR OLD AFTER SHE PUT OUT A VIDEO OF THE

UYGHUR GENOCIDE. YOUR ANSWER, SIR, DOES NOT

ALIGN WITH HISTORY. » THAT PARTICULAR CASE WAS A

MISS MODERATION. I BELIEVE THE VIDEO HAD A PHOTO

OF OSAMA BIN LADEN. I BELIEVE –

NO I LOOKED IT UP THAT WAS A DIFFERENT POST THAT THEY BAN.

MY NEXT QUESTION, INDIA BANNED THE USE OF TIKTOK IN 2020 NEW

ZEALAND HAS BANNED THE INSTALLATION OF TIKTOK ON

DEVICES CONNECTED TO THE COUNTRY’S PARLIAMENTARY WEBSITE

CANADA BANNED THE INSTALLATION OF TIKTOK ON GOVERNMENT

DEVICES. THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS BANNED

THE TIKTOK APP FROM GOVERNMENT ON DEVICES.

BELGIUM BANNED TIKTOK FROM GOVERNMENT PHONES.

EUROPEAN UNION BANNED THE INSTALLATION OF TIKTOK ON

GOVERNMENT DEVICES. ALL SIDED SECURITY RISK WITH

THE COMPANY’S DATA COLLECTION IN CONNECTION TO THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY. RECENTLY, OUR U.S. FBI DIRECTOR,

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, SAID ABOUT TIKTOK, QUOTE, THIS IS A TOOL

THAT IS ULTIMATELY WITHIN THE CONTROL OF THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT. IT, TO ME, SCREAMS OUT WITH

NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS. MR. CHEW, HOW CAN ALL OF THESE

COUNTRIES AND OUR OWN FBI DIRECTOR HAVE BEEN WRONG?

I THINK A LOT OF RISKS ARE POINTED OUT OUR HYPOTHETICAL

AND THEORETICAL. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY EVIDENCE.

I AM EAGERLY AWAITING DISCUSSIONS WHERE WE CAN TALK

ABOUT EVIDENCE AND WE CAN THEN ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT ARE

BEING RAISED. » YES.

MY NEXT QUESTION REVOLVES AROUND AN ARTICLE, INDIA BANNED

TIKTOK IN 2020. MARCH 21ST FORBES ARTICLE

REVEALED HOW TROVES OF PERSONAL DATA OF INDIAN CITIZENS WHO

ONCE USED TIKTOK REMAINS WILDLY ACCESSIBLE TO EMPLOYEES AT THE

COMPANY AND ITS BEIJING BASED PARENT, BYTEDANCE.

A CURRENT TIKTOK EMPLOYEE TOLD FORBES THAT NEARLY ANYONE WITH

BASIC ACCESS TO COMPANY TOOLS, INCLUDING EMPLOYEES IN CHINA,

CAN EASILY LOOK UP THE CLOSEST CONTACTS AND OTHER SENSITIVE

INFORMATION ABOUT ANY USER. THIS CURRENT TIKTOK EMPLOYEE

ALSO SAID, QUOTE, IF YOU WANT TO START A MOVEMENT –

IF YOU WANT TO DIVIDE PEOPLE, IF YOU WANT TO DO ANY OF THE

OPERATION TO INFLUENCE THE PUBLIC ON THE APP, YOU CAN JUST

USE THAT INFORMATION TO TARGET THOSE GROUPS.

WHY WOULD A CURRENT TIKTOK EMPLOYEE SAY THIS IF IT WASN’T

TRUE? » THIS IS A RECENT ARTICLE.

I HAVE ASKED 19 TO LOOK INTO. AS FAR AS I KNOW –

WE HAVE RIGOROUS DATA ACCESS PROTOCOLS.

THERE’S REALLY NO SUCH THING WHERE ANYONE CAN ACCESS THE

TOOLS. I DISAGREE WITH A LOT OF THE

CONCLUSIONS WHEN THAT. » MADAM CHAIR I REQUEST

UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE FORMS MUCH RUNNING FOR A 2023

ARTICLE BE ADDED TO THE RECORD. » WITHOUT OBJECTION.

I WOULD LIKE TO TURN OVER THE REST OF MY TIME TO MR.

ABERNETHY. » THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

MR. CHEW, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ASKING THE QUESTION WE

WERE – AROUND A TIME LAST TIME.

AS PART OF PROJECT TEXAS, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE ENGINEERS

AT ORACLE REVIEW THE ALGORITHM –

THE MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHM THAT TIKTOK USES TO ENSURE THEY

ARE FREE FROM FOREIGN INFLUENCE.

AS YOU AND I WERE DISCUSSING, REVIEWING THE ALGORITHMS DON’T

DO ANYTHING. THE SIMPLE –

THE SECRET SAUCE IS IN THE DATA USED TO TRAIN THEM AND THE

OUTCOMES YOU ARE ASKING THEM TO PREDICT.

WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? » NO I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT

WITH THE RECORDING MONITORING YOU CAN IDENTIFY A LOT OF THE

MOTIVATION OF THE CONE. WITH ENOUGH THIRD-PARTY EXPERTS

YOU CAN IDENTIFY A LOT OF WHAT THE CODE IS DESIGNED TO DO.

HOW WOULD YOU VERIFY THAT YOU COULDN’T ASK THE ALGORITHM

FOR A DIFFERENT OUTCOME THAN THE ONE THAT THE REST OF THE

SOURCE CODE IS ASKING FOR? » THE ALGORITHM, AGAIN IT’S

VERY TECHNICAL, IT WOULD BE TRAINED BASED ON WAYS FOR

EXAMPLE. THOSE ARE THINGS WE CAN VERIFY.

YOU CAN USE ON LIKES OR NOT. » IF YOU COULD GIVE US A

WRITTEN RESPONSE ON THAT OUT APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, I YIELD BACK.

LADY YIELDS BACK, THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE, FOR FIVE MINUTES, THE GENTLEMAN

FROM FLORIDA MR. SOTO. » THINK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

THE GENIE IS REALLY OUT OF THE BOTTLE ON THIS NOW, SO TO

SPEAK. 150 MILLION AMERICANS ARE NOW

ON TIKTOK. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OF AMERICA.

THEY ARE EXPRESSING THEMSELVES WITH THEIR ARE, MUSIC, POETRY,

SHORT FILMS, COMEDY, AMONG OTHER CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS.

MANY OF THEM ARE INSPIRING TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE.

WE ALSO IN THE COMMITTEE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A

DARKER SIDE TO IT, RIGHT? THE VIOLENCE, ADULT THEMES,

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, SEXUALIZATION, SUICIDE.

ALL MAJOR ISSUES ON TIKTOK BUT ALSO TWITTER, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE,

AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

THE SOLUTION, AS I SEE, IS TO REGULATE TIKTOK AND OTHER

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. THAT JOB, MR. SOTO, AS YOU KNOW

REALLY FALLS TO US. THERE ARE REAL CONCERNS BY PIPE

PARTISAN COMMON GROUND WE HAVE HAD A FEDERAL DEVICE BAND THAT

WAS VOTED ON BY PARTISAN OMNIBUS.

I CO-INTRODUCED A BILL WITH MY DEAR FRIEND, REPRESENTATIVE

CAMMACK ABOUT THAT FEDERAL – MADAM CHAIR I THINK THE FIRST

LADY’S PRIVACY. WE HAVE TO PASS CONGRESS GOT

OUT OF THIS COMMUNITY BUT ELUDED US IN THE LAST CONGRESS.

I AM REALLY HOPING THAT WE CAN GET THAT DONE I AM REALLY

EXCITED ABOUT HEARING ABOUT THAT FROM FOLKS.

THE OTHER THING IS TIKTOK NEEDS TO BE AN AMERICAN COMPANY WITH

AMERICAN VALUES. ITS TIES TO THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY – THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE

CRITICAL AS WE LOOK AND GO FORWARD.

WE ALL AGREE THAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR KIDS.

THE COMMITTEE SHOULD CONSIDER BANNING THE USE UNDER 13 OF NOT

JUST TIKTOK BUT ALL SOCIAL MEDIA.

EMPOWER PARENTS. IN ADDITION TO HAVE RULES OF

THE ROAD 14 THAT A 13 17 SO FAMILIES CAN DO WHAT IS RIGHT

FOR THEIR FAMILIES. FOR PRIVACY, THAT IS ON US.

INTERNET PRIVACY IS ON US. AS FAR AS BEING AN AMERICAN

COMPANY, MR. CHEW AS YOU KNOW THE COMMITTEE ON INVESTMENTS

AND THE UNITED STATES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY REFUSED

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS THAT AFFECT NATIONAL SECURITY.

RIGHT NOW THEY ARE NEGOTIATING WITH THEIR COMPANY ABOUT THE

ORACLE SETUP WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT SERVERS IN THE AMERICAN

COMPANY IN AMERICA, TEXAS. ORACLE WOULD THEN MONITOR THE

ALGORITHM. PRESSURE IS MOUNTING.

MR. CHEW WOOD TICKED UP BE PREPARED TO DIVEST FROM

BYTEDANCE AND CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TIMES IT’S THE DEPARTMENT

OF THE TREASURY INSTRUCTED YOU ALL TO DO SO?

CONGRESSMAN, I SAID IN MY OPENING STATEMENT I THINK WE

NEED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF PRIVACY.

I AGREE WITH YOU. I DO NOT THINK OWNERSHIP IS THE

ISSUE HERE. WITH A LOT OF RESPECT, AMERICAN

SOCIAL COMPANIES DO NOT HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD WITH DATA

PRIVACY IN USERS SECURITY. LOOK IT –

WAS JUST ONE EXAMPLE. SO, I DO THINK THAT IT IS NOT

ALL ABOUT OWNERSHIP. IT IS ABOUT MAKING SURE WE HAVE

FRANTIC TEXAS. MAKE SURE WE ARE PROTECTED AND

FIREWALL-ING U.S. USER DATA. FROM ONLINE FOREIGN ACCESS,

GIVING THIRD PARTIES COMING IN TO HAVE A LOOK AT THIS AND

MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS ACCOUNTABLE.

WE ARE GIVING TRANSPARENCY AND THIRD-PARTY MONITORING.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH TRAGIC TEXAS.

WELL, I WOULD AT LEAST ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO START

HAVING THE DIALOGUE SHOULD THAT BE WHERE THE PRESIDENT AND

CONGRESS ENDS UP GOING. THE THIRD THING IS ON PARENTS.

I HAD A CONSTITUENT ON – A PARENT OF TWO TEENAGERS, 14

IN 18 YEARS OLD, BOTH OF WHOM HAVE BEEN HARMED BY SOCIAL

MEDIA. TIKTOK’S ALGORITHM SUPPLY MY

14-YEAR-OLD SON WITH A CONTINUOUS CREAM OF

INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT AND HAVE NEGATIVELY INFLUENCE HIS

PERCEPTION OF ALL FEMALES. I NOTICED THE ATTENTION SPAN OF

BOTH MUNTEAN SAYS CHANGE TO DECREASE DRAMATICALLY.

SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE MADE MY DAUGHTER INSECURE LEADING TO A

EATING DISORDER AND ULTIMATELY DEPRESSION.

WHAT SAFEGUARDS DO YOU HAVE? WHY SHOULD RETAIL BRANDY OF

LAKE NONNA ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP HER PROTECT HER CHILDREN?

WE HAVE DIFFERENTIATED EXPERIENCE.

I MENTIONED THE EXPERIENCE BELOW 13 THAT IS VERY

RESTRICTED. IF THEY ARE BELOW 13 OR 17,

CONGRESSMAN, WE HAVE A WHOLE SERIES OF THINGS.

FIRST, THE CONTENT THAT YOU SEE –

WE MAKE SURE THAT WE REMOVE THINGS THAT COULD BE MATURE

THEMES FROM YOUR FEED. WE ALSO, BY DEFAULT, DO NOT

ALLOW UNDER 16 TO USE DIRECT MESSAGING.

WE DO NOT ALLOW UNDER 16’S – WE SAID THEIR ACCOUNTS THE

PRIVATE BY DEFAULT. THEY CANNOT GO VIRAL.

IF THEY ARE BELOW 18 WE SHUT OFF SOME FEATURES.

YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO POST ICE DREAMS.

NEITHER ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SEND VIRTUAL GIFTS.

WE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD

AND ENSURE WE ARE GIVING UNDER 18 TEENAGERS ON A PLATFORM –

TODAY, WE ARE NOT A MINORITY OF THESE DEBATES THAT WE STILL

TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. » MR. CHEW, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO

CONTINUE THINKING ON HOW TO GET THE WORLD OUT TO GET THE WORD

OUT ON SOME OF THESE TOOLS, AS. WELL AS WE CRAFT A PRIVACY LAW

THAT WILL HELP PROVIDE WELL NEEDED REGULATION TO SOCIAL

MEDIA COMPANIES ACROSS THE NATION.

THANK, YOU I YIELD BACK. » THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN FROM INDIANA, MISTER

PENCE, FOR FIVE MINUTES. » THANK YOU CHAIRWOMAN,

ROGERS. RANKING MEMBER PALLONE FOR

HOLDING THIS HEARING. I LOVE BOTH OF YOUR OPENING

REMARKS. AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DISCUSSED

TODAY MY INCREASINGLY REGIONAL WORLD LEAVES HOOSIERS AND OTHER

AMERICANS IN THE DARK ABOUT WHO HAS ACCESS TO INFORMATION.

FOUR TIKTOK USERS THAT COULD BE THIRD-PARTY DATA BROKERS,

ADVERTISING WITH THE COMMUNIST CHINESE PARTY.

TIKTOK AGGRESSIVELY FEEDS ADDICTIVE CONTENT AND CONTENT

USERS TO GLEAN MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PERSONAL DATA THAT IS WORTH

A FORTUNE. FOR HOOSIERS WATCHING AT HOME

THIS ISN’T JUST DATA ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM.

IF THERE REALLY ARE 150 MILLION USERS IN THE U.S., THIS

SUGGESTS TO ME THAT THE CCP HAS A FINGER ON THE POSSIBLE MOST

HALF OUR NATIONS POPULATION. I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE

THIS WEEK I DECIDED THAT I WOULD ASK MY CONSTITUENTS IN

SOUTHERN INDIANA TO SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH ME.

I WENT OUT MONDAY NIGHT AND WE GOT 800 RESPONSES IN LESS THAN

12 HOURS, OKAY? LET ME SHARE A COUPLE OF THOSE

WITH YOU. MY CONSTITUENTS SHARED, QUOTE,

I’M A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR. MOST MEN TEENAGE CLIENTS ARE ON

TIKTOK. THEY SPENT HOURS ON LINE BEING

NEGATIVELY INFLUENCED BY OTHERS.

I’VE SEEN KIDS EXPERIENCE SELF HARM, GENDER DYSPHORIA, AND

MANY MENTAL ILLNESSES THEY HAVE PICKED UP FROM TIKTOK.

I WILL NOT ALLOW MY CHILDREN TO HAVE TIKTOK.

I WILL ALGORITHMS ARE AFFECTING OUR CHILDREN.

CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING MORE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION FROM

SCREEN TIME BUT THEY DO NOT CARE.

THEY WILL NOT CHANGE THEIR ALGORITHMS BECAUSE IT IS

FINANCIALLY LUCRATIVE FOR THEM TO KEEP THEIR KIDS ADDICTIVE.

OTHER PARENTS SAY WE LET OUR DAUGHTER TRY IT OUT.

THE FEED WAS CONTINUOUSLY SUGGESTING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT,

STUPID, INVOLVED OR VIDEOS. WE DISCONTINUED IT WITHIN A

WEEK. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE.

LIKE I SAID, 800, OKAY? IN YOUR TESTIMONY, MR. CHEW,

YOU WALK THROUGH A NUMBER OF SUPPOSED ACTIONS TAKEN BY A

COMPANY TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND EMPOWER PARENTS

TO OVERSEE CONTENT SEEN BY THE CHILDREN.

VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING WE HAVE HEARD REFLECTS THE OPPOSITE.

SOME OF YOUR ANSWERS ARE LITTLE CONFUSING.

YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE SITTING HERE AND MAYBE WATCHING ON

C-SPAN, THIS IS THE 32ND HEARING WE HAVE HELD ABOUT

PRIVACY AND BIG TECH. EACH HEARING I HAVE BEEN PART

OF WE HAVE HEARD THE SAME STORIES ABOUT OUR CONSTITUENTS

EXPERIENCE AND THE SAME PROMISES FOR BIG TECH TO DO

BETTER. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS,

THIS DISGUSTING AND DANGEROUS CONTENT LITTERED ACROSS YOUR

PLATFORM IS NOT JUST JUSTIFIABLE.

IT IS UNCONTROLLABLE. AMERICAN DATA IS NOT SAFE.

BIG TECH IS DOING NOTHING TO PROTECT THE.

PUTTING ASIDE THE DANGERS OF THE CCP INVOLVEMENT, AND AFTER

THESE 32 HEARINGS, I BELIEVE IT IS ACTUALLY TIME TO CHANGE THE

NARRATIVE. CHANGE THE FOCUS, CHANGE THE

OUTCOME BY TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY YOU ARE MAKING AT TIKTOK.

MR. CHEW, I HAVE A QUESTION, HOW MUCH REVENUE GENERATED PER

USER? » CONGRESSMAN –

PRIVATE COMPANY WE’RE NOT GONNA TELL ME.

DOES EACH USER RECEIVE A COMPARABLE BENEFIT FROM THE

AMOUNT OF PROFITEER DATA BRINGS TO THE COMPANY?

WE SHARE REVENUE SOME CREATORS WHO PRODUCE ONE MINUTE

PLUS INFO ON CONTENT. » WHEN AM I GOING TO GET PAID

FOR THE DATA YOU ARE SELLING, OR YOU ARE GETTING REVENUE FROM

ADVERTISERS, WHEN AM I GOING TO GET PAID FOR THE DATA YOU ARE

GETTING FROM MY CHILDREN, MY GRANDCHILDREN, MY NEIGHBORS?

I THINK THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET YOUR ATTENTION.

TO TALK ABOUT THE MONEY YOU ARE MAKING.

MAYBE THAT WILL GET YOU ALL TO DO WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.

I RESPECT AND UNDERSTAND YOUR OPINION.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR USERS HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

I SENT A VIDEO RECENTLY. I GOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF

COMMENTS. » WHAT AM I GETTING.

IT’S A GREAT EXPERIENCE? WHAT ABOUT THESE 800 BAD

EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE IN THE INDIANA SIX DISTRICT HAVE BEEN

GETTING? » WE WILL LOOK INTO THAT –

YOU’RE GONNA LOOK INTO IT? THIS IS MY 32ND BIG TECH

HEARING. YOU ARE ALWAYS GONNA LOOK AT.

ESSENTIALLY, I THINK YOU ARE ALL STALLING IS WHAT YOU’RE

DOING. YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO BUY TIME

WHILE YOU’RE MAKING THE 18 BILLION, PERHAPS, WHATEVER

YOU’RE MAKING. » THE MAJORITY OF OUR USERS

HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE ON A PLATFORM.

IT IS A DUTY TO KEEP IT SAFE, I AGREE WITH YOU.

THAT IS WHY OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE IS SAFETY IS A

PRIORITY. » I THINK IT’S YOUR DUTY TO

PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

MAYBE, MAYBE YOU PANG PEOPLE FOR THE INFORMATION YOU ARE

GETTING FROM THEM AS A WAY TO GET THAT DONE.

THANK YOU, I YIELD BACK. » THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLELADY FROM WASHINGTON,

MISS SCHRIER FOR FIVE MINUTES. » THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE MR.

CHEW. I AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT

EVERYTHING WE ARE HEARING IN THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.

I APPRECIATE YOUR GOOD INTENTIONS.

THE ACTIONS ARE REALLY FALLING SHORT.

AS A PEDIATRICIAN, AND THE PARENT OF A TEENAGER, I AM

PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW SOCIAL MEDIA GENERALLY, AND

TIKTOK SPECIFICALLY, IS AFFECTING OUR KIDS AND TEENS.

WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS FROM TESTIMONY FROM PSYCHOLOGIST.

LAST YEAR THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS SOUNDED THE ALARM

ABOUT OUR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

AS A PEDIATRICIAN I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MORE

THAN A DECADE. IN FACT, ATTRACTS PERFECTLY

WITH SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT. DURING THE PANDEMIC, TEENS WHO

ARE MISSING OUT ON IN-PERSON INTERACTION TURNED EVEN MORE TO

SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONNECT WITH FRIENDS.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS DESIGNED TO BE ADDICTING.

YOUR PLATFORM IS THE MOST ADDICTIVE OF ALL THIS ENDLESS

SCROLLING KEEPS TEENS AWAY FROM RELATIONSHIPS.

HERE’S WHAT’S IMPORTANT, IT KEEPS TEAMS AWAKE ALL NIGHT

WELL PAST THEIR BEDTIME. –

IN A TIME THAT IS CRITICAL FOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION, ANNOYING CONTENT, CAN COST BRUSH AND,

ANXIETY, SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL, INATTENTION, POOR COPING SKILLS,

AND ACADEMIC FAILINGS. SO MR. CHEW, I WANT TO FOLLOW

UP A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT MY COLLEAGUE WAS DISCUSSING.

IT IS YOUR BUSINESS MODEL TO KEEP EYES ON THE APP.

TO KEEP IT ADDICTIVE. I KNOW YOU LIKELY HAVE EXPERTS

WHO HAVE ADVISED YOU ON HOW TO DESIGN THIS TO KEEP THOSE EYES

ON YOUR PLATFORM FOR THE LONGEST POSSIBLE TIME.

I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE PSYCHOLOGIST OR OTHER HEALTH

EXPERTS ON STAFF LOOKING AT SCREEN TIME, HOURS OF USE, AND

SLEEP? » WE WORKED WITH A DIGITAL

WELLNESS LAB, CONGRESSWOMAN, AT THE BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.

WE CAME UP WITH THE 60 MINUTE DEFAULT LIMIT FOR ANY USERS

UNDER 18. A FIRST IN OUR INDUSTRY.

THAT IS AN OPT OUT. I CAN TELL YOU, THEY WILL

IMMEDIATELY OPT OUT. IT IS ADDICTIVE.

IT’S LIKE ASKING A CHAIN SMOKER NOT TO TAKE THE NEXT CIGARETTE.

IT IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN. BY THE WAY –

I HAVE A QUESTION AND THEN I WILL GO BACK TO BOSTON

CHILDREN. MR. SARBANES ASKED EARLIER,

WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF TEENS WHO ACTUALLY ADHERE TO THE 60

MINUTE LIMIT? » I WOULD NEED TO CHECK ON

THOSE NUMBERS AND GO BACK TO YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT. I’M GUESSING IT IS AN

INCREDIBLY LOW PERCENTAGE TO ACTUALLY HEED THAT.

AS FAR AS BOSTON CHILDREN’S GO I KNOW YOU ARE REFERRING TO

THEM AS A SOURCE TO BE IDEAS TO GO OUTSIDE, GET SOME AIR, TAKE

SOME TIME OUT. I CAN TELL YOU AS A

PEDIATRICIAN I’M GUESSING THERE SUGGESTIONS WERE A LITTLE

STRONGER THAN THAT. I AM WONDERING, WHAT IS THE

NEXT STEP? WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHEN YOU

FIND OUT THAT ALMOST NOBODY IS OPTING OUT AFTER 16 MINUTES?

TO TAKE THIS BURDEN OFF OF THE KIDS AND OFF OF THE PARENTS AND

CHANGE YOUR ALGORITHMS TO MAKE THEM NOT-SO-HOOKED.

WE GIVE OUR PARENTS, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE FAMILY PARENT

TOOL. IN THAT TOOL, IF YOU PAIR IT

WITH YOUR TEENAGERS PHONE, YOU CAN SET THE RESTRICTION.

HOW MANY MINUTES. WE BELIEVE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT

FOR PARENTS TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR

TEENAGERS SO THEY CAN DECIDE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THE FAMILY.

CONGRESSWOMAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO OUR PLATFORM TO HAVE A

REALLY INFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE. LIKE I SAID, THERE WERE HUNDRED

AND 60 BILLION PIECES OF CONTENT ON STEM.

WE ARE CREATING A FEE DEDICATED TO THAT.

BOOK TALK HAS 150 BILLION – » WE ALSO HEARD TODAY THAT

WILL OVER 20% OF THE INFORMATION IS MISINFORMATION.

WE HEARD THAT ABOUT MEDICAL REMEDIES THAT ARE NOT REALLY

REMEDIES. WE HAVE HEARD IT ABOUT MENTAL

HEALTH TOPICS. THIS BECOMES A DANGEROUS,

ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT TRAINED TO THINK VERY

CRITICALLY ARBEING GIVEN INFORMATION AND THINKING IT IS

TRUE. YOU’VE SAID MANY TIMES THAT THE

DESTRUCTIVE INFORMATION IS NOT AVAILABLE TO KIDS, BUT IT IS.

WE KEEP SEEING EXAMPLES HERE. I’M JUST WONDERING, WHAT ARE

YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE ALGORITHMS?

JUST BECAUSE YOU REMOVE SOMETHING THAT SAYS ANOREXIA,

BELIEVE ME, OR EATING DISORDER, THAT DOESN’T DO IT.

IF YOU SHOW GIRLS REPEATEDLY SKINNY BODIES AND ADVICE ON HOW

TO COOK MEALS THAT ARE LESS THAN THREE AND A CALORIES, THAT

IS DANGEROUS. » » WE HAVE WORKED WITH,

FIRST OF ALL, ANYTHING THAT GLORIFIES EATING DISORDERS WE

REMOVE THEM FROM THE PLATFORM AS VIOLATED.

WE ARE WORKING WITH EXPERTS RIGHT NOW.

IT IS A CHALLENGING PROBLEM FOR INTEGERS THREE.

WE ARE IDENTIFYING SOME OF THE THEMES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

TRYING TO BUILD MODELS WEAR THE KIND OF CONTENT IS NOT CHANGE

FOR THE YOUNGER USERS. IT IS SOMETHING WE TAKE VERY

SERIOUSLY. » WE ARE SEEING IN A DISORDERS

AND ELEMENTARY AGE KIDS NOW. I NEED YOU TO EXPEDITE THAT

PROCESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. PARENTS OUT THERE ARE WORRIED.

I’M WORRIED AS A PEDIATRICIAN. PARENTS CANNOT TAKE THEMSELVES

OFF THESE PLATFORMS. KIDS, THERE IS NO WAY THEY ARE

GOING TO TAKE THEMSELVES OFF. WE NEED YOU TO DO YOUR PART.

IT MAY AFFECT YOUR BOTTOM LINE. BUT IT CAN SAVE THIS

GENERATION. » I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS.

OUR COMMITTEE – » THANK YOU.

GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE

GENTLEMAN FROM PENNSYLVANIA, MR. JOYCE.

THANK YOU CHAIR ROGERS AND RANKING MEMBER PALLONE FOR

HOLDING THIS HEARING. ACCORDING TO AN AUGUST 2022

ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES TIKTOK’S IN-APP WEB BROWSER CAN

TRACK EVERY INDIVIDUAL HEATSTROKE MADE BY USER.

WE HAVE HEARD TODAY ABOUT THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT THE APPS CODE

CAN BE USED TO MONITOR OR TRACK USERS.

LIKEWISE, WE HAVE HER CONCERNS THAT THIS DATA MAY NOT BE FULLY

ISOLATED FROM ACCESS BY THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.

THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE HISTORICAL NON

PUBLIC U.S. PERSONAL DATA THAT YOUR COMPANY HAS ALREADY

AMASSED. MR. CHEW, YOU HAVE PUBLICLY

STATED THAT THE NON PUBLIC INFORMATION OF TIKTOK USERS IN

THE UNITED STATES AS BEING TRANSFERRED TOWARDS ORACLE

BASED CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS.

WILL THAT BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS WEEK?

BY THE END OF THIS MONTH? WHAT IS THE OUTLINE FOR DEALING

WITH THAT DATA THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY AMASSED?

ALL NEW DATA IS ALREADY STORED, BY DEFAULT, IN THE

ORCHID CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE – » I’M TALKING ABOUT THE DATA

THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY AMASSED? » WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF

DELETING – » WHAT TIMELINE WITH THAT DATA

BE ABLE TO BE STORED? » I BELIEVE WE WILL BE ABLE TO

GET IT DONE THIS YEAR – » THIS YEAR.

THANK? HERE IT’S NOT GOING TO OCCUR

ANYTIME SOON. TO BE CLEAR, UNTIL THAT DATA

TRANSFER HAPPENS USER DATA REMAINS ACCESSIBLE TO THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY. ON MARCH 1ST OF THIS YEAR, THE

COMMITTEE ASKED YOU WHEN YOU PLAN TO DELETE NON PUBLIC

HISTORICAL U.S. USER DATA. ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS?

CONGRESSMAN, I DISAGREE WITH THIS ASSESSMENT.

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT CAN GET ACCESS TO THE DATA.

IT IS REALLY FOR – A PRIVATE COMPANY.

CHINESE EMPLOYEES – » YOU RESPONDED IN WRITING TO

THIS COMMITTEE, I HAVE THE RESPONSE, THAT WE GOT BACK FROM

YOU ON MARCH 7TH. JUST SIX DAYS LATER.

YOUR ATTORNEYS WROTE THAT THE COMPANY –

I AM QUOTING, THE COMPANY PLANS TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE

LEADING NON PUBLIC HISTORIC USER DATA THIS MONTH.

IN ANTICIPATION THAT THE PROCESS WILL BE COMPLETED THIS

YEAR. YOU CAME UP WITH A SUPPOSED

PLANNED IN THE SUMMER OF 2022. SPECIFICALLY BASED ON OUR

CONCERNS THAT THE COMMUNIST CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS SPYING

ON U.S. USERS. YOU ONLY JUST CAME UP WITH THE

IDEA TO DELETE HISTORIC NON PUBLIC U.S. DATA JUST TWO WEEKS

AGO? LET ME READ IT AGAIN.

ON MARCH 7TH, YOUR ATTORNEY ZERO, AND I QUOTE, THE COMPANY

PLANS TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE LEADING NON PUBLIC

HISTORICAL DATA THIS MONTH. AND INTO DEBATES THE PROCESS

WILL BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR. MR. CHEW, DID YOU JUST COME UP

WITH THIS PLAN ONLY BECAUSE WE ASKED ABOUT IT ON MARCH 1ST?

NO, WE STARTED TO LEADING – THIS » THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS

LIKE TO. ME » THIS IS INCREDIBLY

DISAPPOINTING. WHEN YOU AGREE THAT AWAITING

EVEN MINUTES FOR THIS PERSONAL PRIVACY TO DETECTION IS

ABSOLUTELY WRONG? AND IT IS NOT IN THE BEST

INTEREST OF USERS?

CONGRESSMAN, RESPECTFULLY THERE ARE MANY COMPANIES THAT

USE A GLOBAL WAR FORCE, WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE.

WE ARE JUST TAKING ACTION. » WHAT WE’VE ALREADY

ESTABLISHED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

TO ACCESS PERSONAL YOU’RE DATA, WOULD YOU AGREE THAT NO U.S.

GOVERNMENT ELECTRONIC DEVICES SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO TIKTOK

PLATFORM, AS YOUR LACKLUSTER SECURITY CURRENTLY STANDS?

I DISAGREE WITH THAT CHARACTERIZATION.

DO YOU THINK ANY INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE UTILIZING THAT ON ANY

GOVERNMENT PLATFORM? » I THINK THE GOVERNMENT

SHOULD HAVE NO SOCIAL MEDIA APPS, NOT TARGETED TO US.

DURING THIS HEARING YOU HAVE MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THAT

THERE IS A, QUOTE, DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE, YOUR WORDS, FOR

CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13. » THAT IS CORRECT.

A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. DO YOU ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN

UNDER THE AGE OF 13 TO PARTICIPATE IN TIKTOK?

YES OR NO? » I DID JUST EXPLAIN THIS IN

DETAIL, THIS DOESN’T EXIST IN SINGAPORE WHERE MY CHILDREN

LIVE, IF MY CHILDREN LIVED HERE, THEN YES.

BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE HEARD TODAY IT’S CLEAR TO ME THAT

TIKTOK AS A COMPANY CANNOT BE TRUSTED.

AND THAT AMERICANS REMAIN SIGNIFICANTLY AT RISK BECAUSE

OF THE TIKTOK APP. I STILL CONTEND THAT TIKTOK IS

THE SPY IN AMERICANS POCKETS. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT

TIKTOK DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NOT HEARD THAT FROM YOU TODAY.

WE HAVE NOT HEARD A COMMITMENT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE

PERSONAL PRIVACY THAT AMERICANS EXPECT, AND THAT AMERICANS

DESERVE. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

I YIELD THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME.

GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK, RECOGNIZING MISS TRAN FOR FIVE

MINUTES. » THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

MR. SHOU ZI CHEW, MANY BIG TECH CEOS HAVE SAT WHERE YOU ARE

SITTING TODAY AND TRIED TO RUN OUT THE CLOCK LIKE THIS ONE,

TRAINED NOT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND WAIT FOR THE NEWS CYCLE TO

PASS SO THEY COULD GET ON WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL.

THOSE SAME EXECUTIVES WANT THIS MOMENT, TIKTOK MOMENT UNDER THE

MICROSCOPE TO DISTRACT CONGRESS, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FROM THE

VERY REAL ISSUES THAT EXIST ON THEIR PLATFORMS.

YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TURN THE TABLES ON THEM.

WHILE U.S. BASED SOCIAL MEDIA GIANTS HAVE REGRESSED ON

PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS, PROTECTING OUR DATA

PRIVACY, AND ON THE RACING TRANSPARENCY, YOU CAN LEAD AND

YOU SHOULD. LAST MONTH YOU ANNOUNCED THAT

TIKTOK WOULD EXPAND ACCESS TO ITS RESEARCHER API BUT I AM

CONCERNED THAT THE POLICY COULD BE MORE BARK THAN BITE, THAT IT

WON’T ACTUALLY LEAD TO THE RIGOROUS RESEARCH THAT WE AS

LAWMAKERS AND THAT PARENTS AND EVERY DAY TIKTOK USERS NEED.

IN FACT YOUR TERMS OF SERVICE DEMAND THAT RESEARCHERS DELETE

THEIR DATA, THAT TIKTOK’S UNILATERAL DIRECTION.

IT PUTS RESTRICTIONS ON HOW RESEARCHERS FINDINGS CAN BE

PUBLISHED AND IT ONLY ALLOWS ACCESS TO PUBLIC DATA.

WHICH RESEARCHERS ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO WITHIN THE APP.

IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE CONTENT MODERATION AND

ALGORITHMIC AMPLIFICATION CONCERNS THAT MY COLLEAGUES

HAVE RAISED HERE TODAY, AND THEN I HAVE HEARD ABOUT

DIRECTLY FROM PARENTS IN MY HOME STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS,

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH IS NOT OTHER –

ALGORITHM IS MAKING DECISIONS TO PROMOTE CONTENT.

WILL YOU COMMIT TO EXPANDING YOUR API, TO INCLUDE DATA THAT

WOULD LET RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE HOW YOUR ALGORITHM

IS PUSHING CONTENT TO USERS, WHETHER IT’S SHOWING UP ON YOUR

FOR YOU PAGE, THE HASHTAG PAGE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE?

ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS I GAVE IN THE OPENING STATEMENT

IS A COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND THIRD-PARTY MONITORING.

CONGRESSWOMAN, I WILL LOOK INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT AND GET

BACK TO YOU. » AS WELL OF THE ALGORITHM,

INCLUDING DATA, ON WHAT TYPES OF USERS WERE TARGETED BY THE

ALGORITHM SO THAT RESEARCHERS CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT

CONTENT IS BEING PRIORITIZED, AND WHAT’S BEING PUSHED TO.

AGAIN, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY, THESE ARE VERY

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND I WILL GET BACK TO YOU ON THE

SPECIFICS. » UNDER THE SAME PROPOSAL YOU

HAVE INQUIRED THAT RESEARCHERS GIVE TIKTOK QUOTE, WORLDWIDE,

FREE, NONEXCLUSIVE AND PERPETUAL, AND QUOTE, RIGHTS TO

THEIR PAPERS. THREATENING TO CLASH DIRECTLY

WITH WELL-ESTABLISHED PRACTICES OF EXCLUSIVE PUBLICATION WRITES

IN RESEARCH JOURNALS. WHY DOES TIKTOK NEED THOSE

RIGHTS? » I WILL NEED TO GET BACK TO

YOU ON THE SPECIFICS IF THAT’S OKAY.

I DON’T SEE HOW WE CAN EXPECT RESEARCHERS TO DO THEIR

WORK UNDER THESE TERMS AND THEN TOUT TRANSPARENCY.

I WILL SHIFT GEARS WITH THE TIME THAT I HAVE REMAINING, I

WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TIKTOK’S EFFORTS TO PROTECT

CHILDREN AND YOUNG USERS. IN 2021 THE UK’S AGE

APPROPRIATE DESIGN CODE WENT INTO EFFECT, MANDATING 15

STANDARDS THAT COMPANIES LIKE YOU NEED TO FOLLOW TO PROTECT

CHILDREN ON YOUR PLATFORM. YOU STILL OPERATE IN THE UNITED

KINGDOM, WHICH MEANS YOU SHOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS

CODE. SO MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE, WILL

YOU COMMIT TO EXTENDING THE PROTECTIONS CURRENTLY AFFORDED

CHILDREN IN THE UK TO THE MILLIONS OF KIDS AND TEENS WHO

USE YOUR APP HERE, IN THE UNITED STATES?

WE TAKE THE SAFETY OF THE YOUNGER USERS ON OUR PLATFORM

VERY SERIOUSLY. » THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO PROVE

IT. » EVERY COUNTRY IS A LITTLE

BIT DIFFERENT IN CONTEXT, SO LET ME LOOK AT THE SPECIFICS

AND BRING SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE WORLD, –

THOSE BEST PRACTICES ARE BEING EXECUTED AROUND THE

WORLD. WE JUST WANT THE SAME FOR OUR

KIDS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. WHEN WE SPOKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS

AGO, YOU INDICATED INTEREST IN TAKING STEPS TO EARN TRUST, OUR

TRUST. AND TO ME, IT HAS NOT HAPPENED

TODAY SO FAR. BUT RATHER YOU HAVE DUCKED

BEHIND INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND COMPARABLE TO YOUR COMPETITORS.

WHICH WE KNOW ARE WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT.

I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THESE TERMS, THESE COMMITMENTS,

MAKE THE CASE FOR WHY YOU ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR AMERICAN

COMPETITORS. AND DO BETTER ON, THEN THEM, ON

TRANSPARENCY. WHAT YOU HAVE MENTIONED

COUNTLESS TIMES TODAY ABOUT WHICH WE DON’T REALLY HAVE ANY

TANGIBLE TO POINT TO. » I DON’T WANT TO MAKE EXCUSES

FOR OUR INDUSTRY OF OURSELVES, I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF WORK

THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.

IT’S NOT PERFECT, WE NEED TO KEEP INVESTING TO STAY AHEAD OF

OUR GROWTH SO I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE SAFETY AND

CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS PART OF OUR COMPANY.

I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING BACK YOUR COMMENTS ON YOUR

COMMITMENTS AND THOSE UPDATED TERMS OF SERVICE WHEN YOU WRITE

BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, I YIELD

BACK. » GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN FROM NORTH DAKOTA, MR.

ARMSTRONG. » THANK, YOU MADAM CHAIR.

WE HAVE HEARD TODAY ABOUT INDEPENDENT COURT REVIEWS,

LOCATIONS AND THE CORPORATE INDEPENDENCE BETWEEN BYTEDANCE

AND THE CCP. BUT I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING

A LITTLE MORE TELLING. WHEN YOU ARE ASKED ABOUT

CHINESE CENSORSHIP YOU PIVOTED IMMEDIATELY TO DRUG USE IN

SINGAPORE. YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY TIED

YOURSELF IN KNOTS TO AVOID CRITICIZING THE CCP’S TREATMENT

OF THE UYGHUR POPULATION AND I THINK IT BEGS THE FIRST

QUESTION, BEFORE WE EVER GET TO PROJECT TEXAS WHICH I WILL GET

TO IN A SECOND. IF THE CCP DEMANDED THAT

BYTEDANCE HAND OVER ALL INFORMATION ON U.S. USERS, AND

BYTEDANCE REFUSED, I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

I WONDER IF JACK MOTT MIGHT HAVE AN OPINION ON THAT AND I

WONDER IF HE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO GIVE.

IT LET’S TALK ABOUT PROJECT TEXAS FOR A SECOND.

IT ENVISIONS A NEW U.S. FACED TIKTOK SUBSIDIARY.

YOU HAVE STATED THAT THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED, I WOULD ARGUE

THAT IT’S BECAUSE IT REQUIRES CONTINUAL OVERSIGHT AND

MONITORING BY THE U.S. OF A PRIVATE BUSINESS BECAUSE IT

POSES A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT.

THE NEW SUBSIDIARIES BOARD WOULD REPORT TO AND BE APPROVED

BY STUFFINESS. CPS WOULD ALSO SPECIFY HIRING

REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS INTERACTING WITH ORACLE.

THAT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY CORPORATE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE.

I HAVE QUESTIONS ON WHETHER IT COMPLIES WITH CORPORATE LAW AND

FIDUCIARY DUTY TO SHAREHOLDERS. THE CORE CONCERN IS THAT THE

COURT PROPOSES UNPARALLELED INTEGRATION WITH THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE

SIGNIFICANT GOVERNMENT RESOURCES.

ALL OF THAT TO ALLOW A CONTINUING OPERATION OF A

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM THAT HAS SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY

IMPLICATIONS. THE WORKLOAD HAS ALREADY

DRAMATICALLY INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS WITH A 30%

INCREASE IN DECLARATIONS AND A 45% INCREASE OF JOINT

INVOLUNTARY NOTICES. THERE IS BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS

THAT IT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED AS WE SPEAK.

CAN YOU IDENTIFY A SIMILAR CORPORATE ARRANGEMENT THAT

ALLOWS THE » – TO MONITOR AND ALLEGED NATIONAL

SECURITY RISK? » I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS

MATTER, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN ONES BUT I’M NOT AN

EXPERT ON THIS MATTER. » THE ONLY ONE I COULD FIND IS

THE UK CREATED HUAWEI CYBERSECURITY EVALUATION CENTER,

WHO ASSESSED HUAWEI’S TECH, TO DETECT MALICIOUS ACTIVITY IN

UK’S NETWORKS. THAT HAS WORKED SO WELL, THAT

THE UK IS PLANNING ON PICKING HUAWEI OUT OF GREAT BRITAIN.

YOU HAVE STATED THAT TIKTOK HAS INVESTED 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS TO

PROJECT TEXAS. ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY

DISCUSSIONS OR PROPOSALS THAT ENTAIL TIKTOK FUNDING OR

OFFSETTING THE COST OF XIPHIAS RULE?

THOSE DISCUSSIONS, I NEED TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THIS BUT TO

FIX BUT I CAN TELL YOU, YES, WE DID SPEND APPROXIMATELY 1.5

BILLION U.S. DOLLARS. » YOU AGREE THAT IF XIPHIAS

TAKES ON THIS ROLE THEY WILL NEED A MASSIVE INFLUX OF

DOLLARS ON HUMAN RESOURCES, RIGHT?

I CANNOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEM.

SHOULD THE U.S. GOVERNMENT EXPENSE SUCH RESOURCES TO

CREATE THIS EXTRAORDINARY ARRANGEMENT FOR TIKTOK,

ESPECIALLY ALLEGING THE ALLEGED NATIONAL SECURITY RISK?

I CAN’T SPEAK ON BEHALF – » PROJECT TEXAS AS YOU GUYS

HAVE PROPOSED IT DOES NOT WORK WITHOUT XIPHIAS INVOLVED.

THE IDEA BEHIND PROJECT TEXAS IS, –

OVERSEEN BY AMERICAN PERSONNEL AND WE WILL INVITE THIRD-PARTY

MONITORS TO MONITOR THIS. THAT IN ESSENCE, AT LEAST AS

FAR AS I KNOW, IS THE MAJORITY OF THE COST BECAUSE IT WILL

RELY ON NOT JUST US BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT JUST

FINDING IN HIRING THESE THIRD-PARTY MONITORS, TO COME

IN AND MONITOR THE STRUCTURE. » YOU TALKED EARLIER ABOUT THE

SHAREHOLDERS OWNERSHIP OF TIKTOK, 60% GLOBAL INVESTORS,

20% EMPLOYEES, AND 20% IS ORIGINAL FOUNDERS, ARE ALL OF

THOSE VOTING SHARES THE SAME? » THE FOUNDER HAS WAIVED THE

VOTING RIGHTS AS IS COMMON IN OUR INDUSTRY.

AS FAR AS A VOTING BLOCK OF SHARES OWNED BY BYTEDANCE, DO

YOU KNOW IF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY, DO YOU KNOW

WHAT THEIR PERCENTAGE OF THE ACTUAL VOTING BLOC OF BYTEDANCE

IS? » THE COMMUNIST PARTY DOES NOT

HAVE VOTING RIGHTS IN BYTEDANCE.

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERS, A DIFFERENT QUESTION.

DO THE FOUNDERS CONTROL THE VOTING BLOC OF BYTEDANCE’S

SHARES? » I DO KNOW THAT THE FOUNDER

HIMSELF IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY, BUT WE DON’T

KNOW THE POLITICAL AFFILIATION OF OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THAT’S

NOT SOMETHING WE ASK. » DOES THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

KNOW THE POLITICAL AFFILIATION OF THEIR CHINESE CITIZENS?

I CANNOT ANSWER THE QUESTION ON THEIR BEHALF.

I YIELD BACK. » GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

YIELD TO THE GENTLELADY FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE, MISS KUSTER.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO SAY I AGREE WITH ALL

OF THE COMMENTS OF MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, THAT WE NEED TO

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHETHER TIKTOK POSES A NATIONAL

SECURITY RISK. FOR TODAY I WILL FOCUS MY

LIMITED TIME ON HOW TIKTOK CAN BETTER PROTECT ITS YOUNGEST

USERS. I THINK A NUMBER OF US HAVE

IDENTIFIED AS PARENTS TODAY AND HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS AS WE

RELATE TO YOU. JUST THIS WEEK I HEARD FROM A

PARENT IN MY DISTRICT IN NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE WHOSE CHILD WAS

SERVED HARMFUL CONTENT ON TIKTOK AND NEEDED COUNSELING AS

A RESULT. THIS EXPERIENCE IS NOT UNIQUE

TO THIS FAMILY AND IT UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR BETTER

CHILD PROTECTIONS ON YOUR APP. I WOULD LIKE TO DIG FURTHER

INTO TIKTOK’S CURRENT SAFETY AND PRIVACY CONTROLS FOR

CHILDREN. I UNDERSTAND THAT TIKTOK

RESTRICTS CERTAIN APP CAPABILITIES FOR USERS UNDER

AGE 18, AND HAS ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS FOR USERS UNDER

AGE 16, OR 13. SUCH AS LIMITING WHO CAN

INTERACT WITH THEM ON THE PLATFORM.

HOWEVER, THESE PROTECTIONS ARE WORTHLESS IF ANY SAVVY CHILD

CAN EASILY BUY PAST THESE AGE RESTRICTIONS BY DELETING THEIR

OWN ACCOUNT, AND CREATING A NEW ONE WITH A DIFFERENT AGE.

AND BY EASILY, I MEAN YOU CAN LITERALLY GO IN AND OPEN

ANOTHER ACCOUNT USING THE SAME EMAIL ADDRESS.

SO I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE BY CHILD SAFETY GROUPS INCLUDING

FAIR PLAY FOR KIDS AND COMMON SENSE, THAT IT IS THAT SIMPLE

FOR YOUNG USERS TO BYPASS THE AGE RESTRICTIONS ON TIKTOK.

YES OR NO, ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS ISSUE?

I APOLOGIZE. I THINK THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION

THAT YOU RAISED. IF A USER IS BLOCKED, MY

UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF THE USER TRIES TO DO IT AGAIN

WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, I WON’T DISCLOSE PUBLICLY –

WE DID IT IN OUR OFFICE YESTERDAY, YOU CAN GO RIGHT

BACK IN, USE THE EXACT SAME EMAIL ADDRESS AND OPEN A NEW

ACCOUNT. CAN I GET YOUR COMMITMENT THAT

YOU WILL AT LEAST FIX THAT BUG? » I WILL GO AND HAVE A LOOK AT

IT, YES. » THANK YOU.

WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK TIKTOK AND NOT OTHER PLATFORMS

BUT I’M HAPPY TO LOOK AT LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS.

IN THE INTERIM, TIKTOK HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO MORE TO

PROTECT ITS YOUNG USERS, AND I WILL ACCEPT YOUR COMMITMENT TO

TAKE A LOOK AT FIXING THAT ISSUE.

LET’S SEE, SORRY, I RECOGNIZE THAT TIKTOK HAS MADE EFFORTS TO

PROVIDE PARENTS AND GUARDIANS INCREASED OPTIONS TO MONITOR

THE ACTIVITY ON THE APP INCLUDING FAMILY PAIRING AND

TIME LIMITS, BUT I STILL HAVE CONCERNS.

IN ORDER TO ACCESS FAMILY PAIRING, PARENTS THEN MUST

DOWNLOAD THE APP ON TO THEIR PHONE.

AND THIS SOUNDS LIKE A DESIGN TO LURE MORE USERS ON THE APP,

RATHER THAN A PRACTICAL SAFETY FEATURE.

FOR THEM, DOWNLOADING THE APP MIGHT NOT BE A VIABLE OPTION

FOR MANY PARENTS. WILL TIKTOK COMMIT TO

DEVELOPING OTHER METHODS FOR PARENTS TO MONITOR THEIR

CHILD’S USE OF THE APP, WITHOUT HAVING TO DOWNLOAD THE TIKTOK

APP ON THEIR PHONE? » I CAN LOOK AT THAT

SPECIFICALLY AND GET BACK TO YOU BUT THE FAMILY PAIRING THAT

YOU MENTIONED IS A VERY GOOD TOOL THAT WE DEVELOPED, I

ENCOURAGE PARENTS OF TEENAGERS TO USE IT.

IT’S NOT A PERFECT BALL AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT ONE OF MY

CONCERNS IS THAT, THE MINIMUM TIME LIMIT TIKTOK LETS PARENTS

SET FOR THEIR CHILDREN’S 40 MINUTES, WHICH FOR A YOUNG

CHILD IS A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

GIVING PARENTS CONTROL WOULD MEAN PROVIDING THEM THE FREEDOM

TO SET THE SCREEN TIME, THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THEIR FAMILY.

I HAVE A COPY OF THE APP PAGE THAT SHOWS JUST THE FOUR

OPTIONS, WOULD YOU COMMIT TO ADDING AN OTHER OPTION, SO THAT

THE PARENT CAN EASILY SET THEIR OWN SCREEN TIME LIMIT?

I CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. » I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT, I

THINK PARENTS ARE LOOKING FOR CONTROL.

THEY ARE LOOKING TO ALLOW THEIR FAMILY TO USE THESE APPS,

WITHOUT TIKTOK TAKING OVER THEIR CHILD’S MEDIA USE.

I HAVE HEARD REPORTS OF USERS STRUGGLING TO ACCESS THE FUTURE,

AND I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOU ON ADDING

AN OTHER SO THAT A PARENT CAN ADD A CUSTOM LIMIT.

FINALLY I ASK THAT YOU COMMIT TO REPORT BACK TO THIS

COMMITTEE AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ON HOW TIKTOK ADDRESSES

THE SAFETY ISSUES, AND THE STEPS THAT YOU ARE TAKING TO

DEVOLVE CHILDREN’S ACCOUNTS TO THE MOST PROTECTIVE POSSIBLE

SETTINGS. AND WITH THAT I YIELD BACK.

GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR YIELDS TO THE

GENTLEMAN FROM OHIO, FIVE MINUTES MR. BALDERSON.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU MR. SHOU ZI CHEW FOR

BEING HERE TODAY. I WOULD START BY INSERTING INTO

THE RECORD A REPORT, BY TIKTOK BYTEDANCE AND THEIR TIES TO THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY, PUBLISHED BY THE AUSTRALIAN

PARLIAMENT OVER A WEEK AGO. » NO OBJECTIONS, ORDERED.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. SHOU ZI CHEW, WE KNOW THAT

YOUR COMPANIES – HAS BEEN EXPOSED FOR DELIVERING

VIDEOS TO CHINA THAT ENCOURAGES THEM TO DEVELOP EATING

DISORDERS, PROMOTES CHALLENGES THAT HAVE CAUSED CHILDREN TO

ACCIDENTALLY COMMIT SUICIDE, GLORIFIES THE USE OF DRUGS AND

PORNOGRAPHY. DESPITE THE CONSTANT MEDIA

COVERAGE OF THIS ISSUE, YOUR COMPANY CONTINUES TO FEED OUR

CHILDREN THIS DANGEROUS AND HARMFUL CONTENT.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO PARENTS BACK IN MY PROFESSIONAL DISTRICT WHY

IT SHOULD BE THEIR BURDEN AND NOT TIKTOK’S, TO SET UP THE

GUARDIAN PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR THE CHILDREN SO THEY DO NOT

VIEW CONTENT WHICH ENCOURAGES EATING DISORDERS OR COMMITTING

SUICIDE? » CONGRESSMAN, I TAKE THESE

ISSUES VERY SERIOUSLY. IF THE USER IS A TEENAGER ON

OUR PLATFORM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DIFFERENTIATED EXPERIENCE,

INCLUDING CERTAIN MODELS THAT WE ARE BUILDING WITH EXPERTS TO

HELP IDENTIFY CERTAIN CONTENT THAT IS NOT INHERENTLY HARMFUL

BUT COULD LEAD PEOPLE TO EATING DISORDERS.

ANYTHING THAT GLORIFIES EATING DISORDERS IS VIOLATED FROM OUR

PLATFORM AND WE REMOVE THAT. AND I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT I

TAKE THIS VERY SOCIALLY. THIS COMMENT.

MR. CURTIS MY COLLEAGUE, MENTIONED THE USE OF A HEATING

TOOL ON YOUR PLATFORM TO MAKE VIDEOS GO VIRAL OR GET MORE

VIEWS. A COOLING TOOL WHERE THEY CAN

MANUALLY LIMIT THE IMPLICATION OF CONTENT THAT TIKTOK SHOULD

HIDE, CONTENT THAT PROMOTES EATING DISORDERS, DRUG USE OR

SUICIDE AMONG CHILDREN. » THE ONLY PROMOTION TOOL THAT

WE HAVE IS APPROVED BY THE LOCAL TEAMS, IN THE U.S. BY THE

U.S. TEAM AND IT’S FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, LIKE

TAYLOR SWIFT, WHEN SHE ONBOARDED –

WOULD THAT BE A YES OR NO? » I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I

AM ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION WITH SPECIFIC.

IF THIS TOOL EXIST, WHY IS IT NOT BEING USED TO COOL THE

SPREAD OF DANGEROUS CONTENT? WHY IS IT STILL HAPPENING?

DANGEROUS CONTENT THAT VIOLATES, WE REMOVE THEM WHEN

WE SEE THEM, FROM THE PLATFORM. » THE FACT OF THE MATTER HERE

IS THAT DESPITE WHATEVER ACTION YOU TAKE, THAT TIKTOK IS TAKING

TO PREVENT TEENS, WOULDN’T YOU –

THERE IS SOMETHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE ALGORITHM OF

YOUR PLATFORM THAT IT EMPLOYEES? » I DO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE

WITH THAT. THE ALGORITHM DRIVES A GREAT

USER EXPERIENCE FOR MANY USERS. I TALKED ABOUT STEM CONTENT,

THAT WAS 160 BILLION VIEWS. ONE MORE, BOOK TALK, A TREND

THAT HAPPENED ON OUR PLATFORM IS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO READ,

IT’S FANTASTIC. I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE TELLING ME

THAT THEY ARE READING MORE BECAUSE OF BOOKTOK.

IF THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD AND JOY AND POSITIVE THAT CAN BE

DERIVED FROM THE TIKTOK EXPERIENCES.

YES, THERE ARE BAD ACTORS WHO COME IN AND POST VIOLATED

CONTENT AND IT’S OUR JOB TO REMOVE THEM BUT THE OVERALL

EXPERIENCE IS A VERY POSITIVE ONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

IT’S YOUR JOB, TO REMOVE THEM, IT’S BEEN SAID ABOUT THE

41 DAYS THAT THAT VIDEO STOOD UP, ADDRESSING THE CHAIRWOMAN.

AFTER THIS I WILL GO AND LOOK INTO THE SPECIFICS OF

THAT. » THANK YOU.

MADAM CHAIR, I YIELD BACK. » GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE LADY FROM TEXAS, MISS FLETCHER, FOR FIVE

MINUTES. » THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, AND

THANK YOU MR. CHEW FOR APPEARING TODAY.

IT’S BEEN A LONG DAY BUT WE ARE HERE TO LEARN ABOUT A COMPLEX

SET OF ISSUES THAT RELATE TO TIKTOK AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM.

I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM COLLEAGUES ON BOTH

SIDES OF THE AISLE TODAY, A REAL EFFORT TO GRAPPLE WITH THE

CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY, AND FOR THE

SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS.

ESPECIALLY OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS.

AND WE HAVE ALREADY COVERED TODAY, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION

ABOUT THE EXTENSIVE USE OF THE APP.

THE NUMBER OF USERS WHO ARE CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS.

BUT I THINK IT BEARS REPEATING, THAT TIKTOK IS THE PREFERRED

PLATFORM OF YOUNG AMERICANS AND THEY USE IT FOR ALL KINDS OF

CREATIVE AND IMPORTANT THINGS, AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT.

BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME DANGEROUS THINGS THAT WE KNOW

IT HAS, AND CONTINUES TO BE USED FOR.

AND THAT ALSO, THAT THE DATA THAT IS COLLECTED IS POSING

ADDITIONAL DANGERS, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR.

MOST PEOPLE USING TIKTOK TO NOT REALIZE THAT TIKTOK IS

COLLECTING DATA ABOUT THEIR KEYSTROKES OR ABOUT THEIR

BROWSING HISTORY ON OTHER SITES AND SO MUCH MORE, AND I AGREE

WITH MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE NEED A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF DATA

PRIVACY LAWS, AND WE HAVE HEARD SOME VERY GOOD IDEAS TODAY.

YOU HAVE MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES TODAY THAT THESE ARE

INDUSTRY WIDE ISSUES. AND I AGREE WITH YOU, THAT OUR

INDUSTRY WIDE CHALLENGES HERE. BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME

SPECIFIC THINGS RELATING TO TIKTOK THAT I WANT TO FOCUS MY

QUESTIONS ON, AND REALLY I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE IS A

DIFFERENCE ON HOW WE CAN CRAFT LEGISLATION THAT ADDRESSES THE

VERY REAL CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT TODAY.

AS YOU KNOW, STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE JOINED AN ONGOING

INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF CONSUMER

PROTECTION LAWS, BY TIKTOK. AS THEY PERTAIN TO TIKTOK’S

EFFECT, ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF AMERICAN CHILDREN AND

TEENAGERS. AS PART OF THIS INVESTIGATION,

STATES HAVE REQUESTED TO REVIEW INTERNAL TIKTOK COMMUNICATIONS

THAT TAKES PLACE ON LARK, THE PRIMARY INSTANT MESSAGING

SYSTEM, IS THAT RIGHT? » YES.

AND AS EVERY TIKTOK EMPLOYEE HAVE A LARK ACCOUNT?

IT’S VERY SIMILAR TO COMPANIES THAT USE SLACK OR ANY

OTHER INSTANT MESSAGING TOOL. » BUT IT’S A PROPRIETARY

INSTANT MESSAGING TOOL, IT’S NOT SLACK.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT IS DEVELOPED BY US.

BY TIKTOK? » NO, BY BYTEDANCE.

SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS STEMMING FROM, THAT IS IT TRUE

THAT LARK VIDEO CONFERENCING HAS A TRANSLATION FUTURE IN

WHICH CHINESE IS TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH TEXT AND VICE VERSA?

THAT IS CORRECT, IT HELPS WITH GLOBAL COOPERATION.

AND THOSE TRANSLATORS CONVERSATIONS ARE SAVED INTO

THE LARK SYSTEM? » I WILL NEED TO GET BACK TO

YOU ON THE SPECIFICS. I WILL GET BACK TO.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW, I NEGLECTED TO ASK BUT DOES

EVERY TIKTOK EMPLOYEE HAVE A LARK ACCOUNT?

YES. » INCLUDING YOU, DO YOU HAVE

ONE? » YES, I BELIEVE SO.

YES. » THERE IS SOME KIND OF

PROFILE FOR YOUR INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM SO EVERY

EMPLOYEE IDENTIFIES THEIR MANAGER AND THEIR DEPARTMENT,

WHO THEY WORK FOR, WHAT THEY DO, IS THAT ALL INCLUDED IN THEIR

LARK PROFILE? » IT’S VERY COMMON FOR

COMPANIES TO HAVE ENTERPRISE MESSAGING TOOLS.

SURE. » TOOLS.

IT DOES, I’M ASKING ABOUT LARK, WHETHER IT INCLUDES

INFORMATION LIKE IDENTIFYING WHO FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR MANAGER

IS? DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THAT IS

SOMETHING THAT IS IDENTIFIED IN LARK?

YES, AGAIN, SOME OF THE HR FUTURES ARE BUILT INTO A LOT OF

ENTERPRISE TOOLS THAT WE USE. » SO FOR YOUR OWN PROFILE,

DOES IT IDENTIFY WHO YOUR MANAGER IS?

YES, IT DOES. » WHO DOES IT IDENTIFY AS YOUR

MANAGER? » I REPORT TO THE CEO OF

BYTEDANCE. » SO THAT IS –

AS YOUR MANAGER? THE FORMER CEO?

HE HAS STEPPED DOWN FROM THE BOARD.

AS THE CEO. » SO MR. RUBO IS IDENTIFIED

NOW? » YES.

IT’S NOT JUST USED BY TIKTOK EMPLOYEES, BY BYTEDANCE

EMPLOYEES AS WELL? » I THINK CLARK IS SELLING IT,

IT’S A GOOD TOOL FOR INSTANT MESSAGING.

LARK IS AVAILABLE TO THIRD PARTIES OUTSIDE THE BYTEDANCE

SYSTEM AS WELL? » YES.

AND DO YOU PERSONALLY EVER USE LARK TO COMMUNICATE

WITH BYTEDANCE? » WITH EMPLOYEES AT BYTEDANCE?

YES, I DO. » I’M RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND

I’M SORRY TO SAY BECAUSE THIS IS VERY INTERESTING, I DO THINK

IT UNDERSCORES SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED

IN THIS HEARING, I THINK IT’S CLEAR WE HAVE WORK WE NEED TO

CONTINUE TO DO HERE IN THE CONGRESS, TO ADDRESS DATA

PROTECTION AND PRIVACY AND WITH THAT, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN I THANK

YOU AND I WILL YIELD BACK. » GENTLE LADY YIELDS BACK,

COMMITTEE STANDS IN RECESS AND WE WILL RECONVENE IMMEDIATELY

FOLLOWING THE THIRD VOTE BEING CALLED.

AND THE HEARING HOUSE LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN QUESTIONING TIKTOK

CEO SHOU ZI CHEW ON THEIR PRACTICES AND THE RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AMONG MANY ISSUES.

THE MEETING IS IN A SHORT BREAK.

WE WILL CONTINUE OUR LIVE COVERAGE HERE ON C-SPAN, WHEN

LAWMAKERS RETURN. A REMINDER, YOU CAN STREAM THE

EVENT LIVE ON C-SPAN NOW, OUR FREE MOBILE VIDEO APP OR YOU

CAN WATCH ONLINE AT C-SPAN DOT ORG.

AND IN THE HEARING HOUSE LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN QUESTIONING

TIKTOK CEO SHOU ZI CHEW ON HIS DATA SECURITY PRACTICES AND THE

COMPANY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AMONG MANY

ISSUES. RIGHT NOW THE HOUSE COMMERCE

COMMITTEE HEARING IS IN A SHORT BREAK.

WE WILL CONTINUE OUR LIVE COVERAGE HERE ON C-SPAN 3 WHEN

LAWMAKERS RETURN. A REMINDER YOU CAN STREAM THE

EVENT LIVE ON C-SPAN NOW, ON OUR FREE MOBILE VIDEO APP OR

YOU CAN WATCH ONLINE AT C-SPAN.ORG.

OUR WITNESS TODAY MR. SHOU ZI CHEW, EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF

TIKTOK. YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE

MINUTES. » THANK YOU.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, CHAIR ROGERS, RANKING MEMBER PALLONE,

I AM SHOU ZI CHEW FROM SINGAPORE.

THAT IS WHERE I WAS BORN, THAT’S WHEN MY PARENTS WERE

BORN. AFTER SERVING IN SINGAPORE’S

MILITARY I MOVED TO THE UK TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND HERE IN THE

U.S. TO ATTEND BUSINESS SCHOOL. I MET MY WIFE.

HERE SHE WAS BORN A FEW MILES AWAY FROM HERE IN VIRGINIA.

TWO YEARS AGO, I BECAME THE CEO OF TIKTOK, AND TODAY WE ARE

MORE THAN A BILLION MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS AROUND THE WORLD

INCLUDING 150 MILLION IN THE UNITED STATES.

OUR APP IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE CREATIVE AND CURIOUS,

AND WE ARE CLOSE TO 5 MILLION AMERICAN BUSINESSES, MOSTLY

SMALL BUSINESSES GO TO FIND NEW CUSTOMERS AND FUEL THEIR

GROWTH. AS TIKTOK HAS GROWN, WE HAVE

TRIED TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF COMPANIES THAT HAVE COME BEFORE

US. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE

SAFETY OF TEENAGERS. WHILE THE VAST MAJORITY OF

PEOPLE ON TIKTOK ARE OVER 18, ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING

DEMOGRAPHICS ARE PEOPLE OVER 35, SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ADOPTING

MEASURES – FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA INDUSTRY.

WE FORBID DIRECT MESSAGING FOR PEOPLE UNDER 16 AND WE HAVE A

60 MINUTE WATCH TIME BY DEFAULT FOR THOSE UNDER 18.

WE HAVE A SUITE OF FAMILY PAIRING TOOLS SO THAT PARENTS

CAN PARTICIPATE IN THEIR TEENS EXPERIENCE AND MAKE THE CHOICES

THAT ARE RIGHT FOR THEIR FAMILY.

WE WANT TIKTOK TO BE A PLACE WHERE TEENAGERS CAN COME TO

LEARN, WHICH IS WHY WE RECENTLY LAUNCHED A FEED THAT

EXCLUSIVELY FEATURES EDUCATION ON STEM.

STEM VIDEOS ALREADY HAVE OVER 116 BILLION VIEWS ON TIKTOK.

AND TIKTOK IS INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION TO DISCOVER A

PASSION FOR MATH AND SCIENCE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT

NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE RAISED.

THAT WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY. LET ME START BY ADDRESSING A

FEW MISCONCEPTIONS OF BYTEDANCE OF WHICH WE ARE A SUBSIDIARY.

BYTEDANCE OR IS NOT OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT, IT’S A COMPANY. 60% OF THE COMPANY IS OWNED BY

GLOBAL INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS, 20% BY THE FOUNDER AND 20% BY

EMPLOYEES AROUND THE WORLD. BYTEDANCE HAS FIVE BOARD

MEMBERS, THREE OF THEM ARE AMERICAN.

TIKTOK ITSELF IS NOT AVAILABLE IN MAINLAND CHINA, BIG ORDERED

IN LOS ANGELES AND SINGAPORE, AND WE HAVE 7000 EMPLOYEES IN

THE U.S. TODAY. WE HAVE HEARD IMPORTANT

CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR UNWANTED FOREIGN ACCESS TO

U.S. DATA, AND POTENTIAL MANIPULATION OF THE TIKTOK U.S.

ECOSYSTEM. OUR APPROACH HAS NEVER BEEN TO

DISMISS OR TRIVIALIZE ANY OF THESE CONCERNS.

WE HAVE ADDRESSED THEM WITH REAL ACTION.

THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.

BUILDING BUT AMOUNTS TO A FIREWALL, PROTECTING U.S. USER

DATA FROM UNAUTHORIZED FOREIGN ACCESS.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS. AMERICAN DATA STORED ON

AMERICAN SOIL BY AN AMERICAN COMPANY, OVERSEEN BY AMERICAN

PERSONNEL. WE CALL THIS INITIATIVE PROJECT

TEXAS. WE ARE ORACLE IS HEADQUARTERED.

TODAY, U.S. TIKTOK DATA IS STORED BY DEEP VAULT IN ORACLE

SERVICE. ONLY VOTED PERSONNEL OPERATING

IN A NEW COMPANY CALLED TIKTOK U.S. DATA SECURITY CAN CONSULT

ACCESS TO THIS DATA. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE PLANS FOR

THIS COMPANY TO REPORT TO AN INDEPENDENT AMERICAN BOARD,

WITH STRONG SECURITY CREDENTIALS.

THERE IS STILL SOME WORK TO DO AND WE HAVE A LEGACY U.S. DATA

SITTING IN OUR SERVICE IN VIRGINIA AND SINGAPORE.

WE HAD A LEADING THOSE AND WE EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE

COMPLETE THIS YEAR. WHEN THAT IS DONE ALL PROTECTED

U.S. DATA WILL BE UNDER PROTECTION OF U.S. LAW AND

UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE U.S. LAND SECURITY TEAM WHICH

ELIMINATES THE CONCERN THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE SHARED WITH ME,

THAT TIKTOK USER DATA CAN BE SUBJECT TO CHINESE LAW.

THIS GOES FURTHER BY THE WAY, THEN WHAT ANY OTHER COMPANY IN

OUR INDUSTRY HAVE DONE. WE ALSO PROVIDE UNPRECEDENTED

TRANSPARENCY AND SECURITY FOR THE SOURCE CODE FOR THE TIKTOK

APP AND RECOMMENDATION ENGINE. THIRD PARTY VALIDATORS LIKE

ORACLE AND OTHERS WILL REVIEW AND VALIDATE OUR SOURCE CODE

AND ALGORITHMS. THIS WILL HELP ENSURE THE

INTEGRITY OF THE CODE, THAT COVERS WHAT AMERICANS SEE ON

OUR APP. WE WILL FURTHER PROVIDE ACCESS

TO RESEARCHERS WHICH HELPS THEM STUDY AND MONITOR OUR CONTENT

ECOSYSTEM. WE BELIEVE WE ARE THE ONLY

COMPANY THAT OFFERS THIS LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY.

TRUST IS ABOUT ACTIONS WE TAKE. WE HAVE TO EARN THEIR TRUST,

WITH DECISIONS WE MAKE FOR OUR COMPANY AND OUR PRODUCTS.

THE POTENTIAL SECURITY AND PRIVACY, CONTENT MANIPULATION

CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT TIKTOK ARE NOT UNIQUE TO US.

THE SAME ISSUES APPLY TO OTHER COMPANIES.

WE BELIEVE WHAT IS NEEDED ARE CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT RULES,

THAT APPLY BROADLY TO ALL TECH COMPANIES.

OWNERSHIP IS NOT AT THE CORE OF ADDRESSING THESE CONCERNS.

AS I CONCLUDE, THERE ARE MORE THAN 150 MILLION AMERICANS WHO

LOVE OUR PLATFORM AND WE KNOW WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO

PROTECT THEM. WHICH IS WHY I AM MAKING THE

FOLLOWING COMMITMENTS TO YOU AND ALL OF OUR USERS.

NUMBER ONE, WE WILL KEEP SAFETY, PARTICULARLY FOR TEENAGERS, AS

A TOP PRIORITY FOR US. NUMBER TWO WE WILL FIREWALL

PROTECT U.S. DATA FROM UNWANTED FOR AN ACCESS.

NUMBER THREE, TIKTOK WILL REMAIN A PLACE FOR FREE

EXPRESSION AND WILL NOT BE MANIPULATED BY ANY GOVERNMENT.

AND FOURTH, WE WILL BE TRANSPARENT AND WE WILL GIVE

ACCESS TO THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT MONITORS, THAT

REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR COMMITMENTS.

I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE AND I

LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AS YOU KNOW THE TESTIMONY THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO GIVE IS

SUBJECT TO TITLE 18 SECTION 1001 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE.

AS YOU STAY IN YOUR TESTIMONY, BYTEDANCE IS TIKTOK’S PARENT

COMPANY. IS IT ACCURATE TO SAY THAT YOU

ARE IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH THE CEO OF BYTEDANCE?

YES, I AM IN COMMUNICATION WITH HIM.

THANK YOU. » THE CEO OF BYTEDANCE CHINA,

OVERSEEING THE CHINESE VERSION OF TIKTOK.

ARE YOU IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH KELLY?

I AM NOT IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH HER.

THE BYTEDANCE EDITOR IN CHIEF, CORRECT?

I BELIEVE SO. » AND THE BEIJING BYTEDANCE

TECHNOLOGY BOARD MEMBER AND THE OFFICIAL OF THE CYBERSPACE

ADMINISTRATION IN CHINA, CORRECT?

I BELIEVE SO, THERE ARE NOT INDIRECT –

THANK YOU. ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WORK

OR ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY, AT THE

HIGHEST LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP AT BYTEDANCE, A COMPANY WHERE YOU

PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND WHERE YOU

REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR CEO.

TIKTOK HAS TOLD US THAT YOU ARE NOT SHARING DATA WITH THE CCP

BUT LEAKED AUDIO FROM WITHIN TIKTOK HAS PROVEN OTHERWISE.

TIKTOK TOLD US THAT YOU ARE NOT TRACKING THE GEOLOCATION OF

AMERICAN CITIZENS, YOU WERE. TIKTOK TOLD US YOU WERE NOT

SPYING ON JOURNALIST, YOU WERE AND YOUR TESTIMONY STATES THAT

BYTEDANCE IS NOT BEHOLDEN TO THE CCP, AGAIN EACH OF THE

INDIVIDUALS I LISTED ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY INCLUDING – WHO IS REPORTED TO BE THE

COMMUNIST PARTY SECRETARY OF BYTEDANCE AND WHO WAS CALLED

FOR THE PARTY COMMITTEE TO QUOTE, TAKE THE LEAD ACROSS ALL

PARTY LINES, TO ENSURE THE ALGORITHM IS ENFORCED BY QUOTE,

CORRECT POLITICAL DIRECTION. JUST THIS MORNING THE WALL

STREET JOURNAL REPORTED THAT THE CCP IS OPPOSED TO UP FOR

SALE OF TIKTOK BY BYTEDANCE. ACCORDING TO A CCP SPOKESMAN

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD MAKE A DECISION, REGARDING ANY

SALE OF TIKTOK. THE CCP BELIEVES THEY HAVE THE

FINAL SAY OVER YOUR COMPANY. I HAVE ZERO CONFIDENCE IN YOUR

ASSERTION THAT BYTEDANCE AND TIKTOK ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO THE

CCP. NEXT QUESTION.

A WAY OF PROMOTING IN MODERATING CONTENT IN YOUR

CURRENT POSITIONS WITH CHINESE COMPANIES, HAVE EMPLOYEES

ENGAGED IN HEATED CONTENT FOR USERS OUTSIDE OF CHINA, VERY

QUICKLY YES OR NO? » OUR HEATING PROCESS IS

APPROVED BY LOCAL TEAMS. IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES.

THE ANSWER IS YES, THANK YOU.

HAVE ANY MODERATION TOOLS BEEN USED TO REMOVE CONTENT ON

TIKTOK ASSOCIATED WITH THE UYGHUR GENOCIDE, YES OR NO?

WE DO NOT REMOVE THAT KIND OF CONTENT.

TIKTOK IS A PLACE FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, AND IF YOU USE

OUR APP YOU CAN GO ON IT AND YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF USERS

AROUND THE WORLD. » THANK YOU.

WHAT ABOUT THE MASSACRE IN TIANANMEN SQUARE, YES OR NO?

I’M SORRY, I DIDN’T HEAR THE QUESTION.

THE MASSACRE IN TIANANMEN SQUARE.

THAT KIND OF CONTENT IS AVAILABLE ON OUR PLATFORM.

I WILL REMIND YOU THAT MAKING FALSE OR MISLEADING

STATEMENTS TO CONGRESS IS A FEDERAL CRIME.

I UNDERSTAND IT. YOU GO ON OUR PLATFORM, YOU

WILL FIND THAT CONTENT. » CAN YOU SAY WITH 100%

CERTAINTY THAT BYTEDANCE OR THE CCP CANNOT USE YOUR COMPANY, TO

HEED CONTENT TO PROMOTE PRO CCP MESSAGES FOR AN ACT OF

AGGRESSION AGAINST TAIWAN? » WE DO NOT PROMOTE OR REMOVE

CONTENT. » THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU

100% CERTAIN THAT THEY CANNOT USE YOUR COMPANY TO PROMOTE

SUCH MESSAGES? » IT IS OUR COMMITMENT TO THE

COMMITTEE AND ALL USERS THAT WE WOULD KEEP THIS FREE FROM ANY

MANIPULATION. ANY GOVERNMENT.

IF YOU CANNOT SAY 100% CERTAIN, I TAKE THAT AS AN L.

AS I PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED, TIKTOK SPIED ON AMERICAN

JOURNALISTS, CAN YOU SAY WITHIN PERCENT CERTAINTY THAT NEITHER

BYTEDANCE OR TIKTOK EMPLOYEES CAN TARGET OTHER AMERICANS,

WITH SIMILAR SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUES?

FIRST OF ALL I DISAGREE WITH THE CHARACTERIZATION THAT IS

SPYING, IT WAS AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION.

YES OR NO. CAN YOU DO SURVEILLANCE OF

OTHER AMERICANS? » WE WILL PROTECT THE U.S.

USER DATA AND FORUM ALL OUR FOREIGN ACCESS.

MY QUESTION IS, I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY, WITH 100%

CERTAINTY, THAT NEITHER BYTEDANCE NOR TIKTOK EMPLOYEES

CAN TARGET OTHER AMERICANS WITH SIMILAR SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUES

AS YOU DID WITH THE JOURNALISTS? » AGAIN, I DISAGREE WITH THAT

CHARACTERIZATION OF SURVEILLANCE AND WE HAVE GIVEN

OUR COMMITMENTS, A COMMITMENT THAT WE WOULD NOT BE INFLUENCED

BY ANY GOVERNMENT. » DOJ IS INVESTIGATING THE

SURVEILLANCE RIGHT NOW. TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WATCHING

TODAY, TIKTOK IS A WEAPON BY THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TO

SPY ON, YOU MANIPULATE WHAT YOU SEE AND EXPLOIT FOR FUTURE

GENERATIONS. A BAN IS ONLY A SHORT TERM WAY

TO ADDRESS TIKTOK. THE DATA PRIVACY BILL IS THE

ONLY WAY TO STOP TIKTOK FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE

UNITED STATES. I YIELD BACK.

I NOW YIELD TO THE RANKING MEMBER FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, LET ME JUST START OUT BY SAYING

THAT I DON’T FIND WHAT YOU SUGGESTED WITH PROJECT TEXAS

AND THIS FIRE WALL THAT IS BEING SUGGESTED, TO WHOEVER,

WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO ME. IN OTHER WORDS, I STILL BELIEVE

THAT THE ASIAN COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT WILL STILL CONTROL

AND HAVE THE ABILITY – SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE.

ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT, TIKTOK IS ON TARGET TO MAKE

BETWEEN 15 AND 18 BILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE THIS YEAR,

IS THAT AN ACCURATE FORECAST? » AS A PRIVATE COMPANY, WE ARE

NOT SHARING. » I THOUGHT THAT’S WHAT YOU

WOULD SAY. HOW MUCH MONEY WILL TIKTOK MAKE

BY DELIVERING PERSONALIZED ADVERTISEMENTS JUST TO YOUR

USERS IN THE UNITED STATES? WILL YOU GIVE ME THAT

INFORMATION? » AGAIN, CONGRESSMAN,

RESPECTFULLY AS A PRIVATE COMPANY OR NOT DISCLOSING OUT.

LOOK, THE IMPRESSION YOU ARE GIVING, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND

WHY YOU ARE TRYING TO GIVE THAT IMPRESSION, IS THAT YOU ARE

JUST PERFORMING SOME KIND OF PUBLIC SERVICE HERE, RIGHT?

THIS IS A BENIGN COMPANY, PERFORMING A PUBLIC SERVICE.

MAYBE THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, I DON’T BUY IT.

MY CONCERN HERE IS PRIMARILY ABOUT THE PRIVACY ISSUE, THE

FACT THAT TIKTOK IS MAKING ALL KINDS OF MONEY BY GATHERING

PRIVATE INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICANS THAT THEY DON’T NEED

FOR THEIR BUSINESS PURPOSES AND THEN THEY SELL IT.

AND I HAD MENTIONED THIS LEGISLATION, THAT THE CHAIR AND

I HAVE, THAT WOULD MINIMIZE DATA COLLECTION AND MAKE IT

MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR TIKTOK AND OTHER COMPANIES TO DO THAT.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SOME COMMITMENTS TONIGHT, MAKE

COMMITMENTS WITH REGARD THIS LEGISLATION, YOU ARE GOING TO

TELL ME. THE BILL ISN’T PASSED.

SO THEREFORE I DON’T HAVE TO DO IT.

BUT YOU SAY YOU ARE BENIGN AND YOU WANT TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR

THE PUBLIC, SO LET ME ASK YOU. WHAT ABOUT A COMMITMENT THAT

SAYS YOU WON’T SOLVE THE DATA THAT YOU COLLECT?

WOULD YOU COMMIT TO THAT, NOT SELLING THE DATA YOU COLLECT?

CONGRESSMAN, I BELIEVE WE DON’T SELL DATA TO ANY DATA

BROKERS. » YOU DON’T SELL TO ANYONE.

WE DON’T SELL DATA BROKERS. » DO YOU SELL IT TO ANYONE?

IN OTHER WORDS, UNDER OUR BILL YOU CAN ONLY USE THE DATA FOR

YOUR OWN PURPOSES, NOT TO SELL IT TO ANYONE, WHEN YOU COMMIT

TO NOT SELLING YOUR DATA TO ANYONE?

CONGRESSMAN, I AM ACTUALLY IN SUPPORT » I DIDN’T ASK YOU

ABOUT RULES, I ASKED YOU WHETHER THE COMPANY WOULD

COMMIT TO NOT SELLING ITS DATA TO ANYONE AND USING IT FOR ITS

OWN PURPOSES INTERNALLY. » I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE

DETAILS OF THAT. » I WILL GET, GET BACK TO ME.

ANOTHER IN OUR BILL, PROHIBIT TARGETING MARKETING TO PEOPLE

UNDER THE AGE OF 17. WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO AGREE

TO PROHIBIT TARGETING MARKETING TO PEOPLE, AMERICANS UNDER THE

AGE OF 17? » CONGRESSMAN, WE HAVE

ACTUALLY STRICTER RULES FOR ADVERTISERS IN TERMS OF WHAT

THEY CAN SHOW – » I AM ONE OF SIX TEXANS ON

THIS COMMITTEE. I AM OVER HERE.

WHEN YOU INVOKE THE NAME OF TEXAS, YOU GET MY ATTENTION.

WHEN YOU ARE THE CFO OF BYTEDANCE TO THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE YOU ON HOW THE CONTENT MUSS TO BE

MONITORED ON GOING IN OR TIKTOK, YES OR NO?

SORRY CONGRESSMAN, WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING THAT QUESTION?

WHEN YOU ARE THE CFL OF BYTEDANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT

TEST YOU ON HOW CONTENT TO BE MODERATED ON DORIAN OR TIKTOK?

I WAS NOT IN CHARGE OF THAT. » REPORTS HAVE SHOWN THAT

TIKTOK ACCOUNTS, MANAGED BY MEDIA LINKS TV, A PROPAGANDA

ARM OF CCTV – YES OR, NO HAS THE CCP

COORDINATED OR UTILIZED TIKTOK OR INFLUENCED USERS TO

ALGORITHMS STATE PAID CONTENT CREATION OR IN ANY OTHER

CAPACITY? » NO.

THEY DO NOT DO THAT. WE DO NOT PROMOTE OR REMOVE ANY

CONTENT ON BEHALF OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

YOU DON’T. BUT DID THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT,

DO YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THAT?

CONGRESSMAN, WE HAVE ONLY ONE PROCESS OF REMOVING CONTENT

ON OUR PLATFORM. THE PROCESS IS DONE BY OUR

CONTENT MODERATION TEAM HEADQUARTERED IN IRELAND AND

THE U.S.. AND WE WOULD ONLY REMOVE

CONTENT IF IT VIOLATES OUR GUIDELINES.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE AUDIT.

OR IF THERE IS A VALID LEGAL ORDER.

SEVERAL REPORTS HEARINGS AND LEAKED INTERNAL DOCUMENTS HAVE

INDICATED THAT TIKTOK HAS REPEATEDLY CENSORED OR THE

AMPLIFIED CONTENT THAT IS CRITICAL OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY

POLICIES IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD. ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS REPORTS?

I DON’T THINK THAT IS ACCURATE.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THOSE REPORTS?

THERE COULD BE SOME REPORTS THAT SAY THAT, BUT THAT ACTION

ITSELF – » YOUR TESTIMONY HERE TODAY IS

THAT YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH STUFF AND MAKE IT AS CLEAN AS

POSSIBLE, QUOTE UNQUOTE, ARE YOU AWARE OF THOSE REPORTS?

I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THERE IS CONTENT ON TIKTOK

THAT IS GREAT AND FUN, THAT IS CRITICAL OF CHINA.

THAT’S NOT WHAT I AM SAYING. ARE YOU AWARE OF THE REPORTS

CITING THAT FACT? » LIKE I SAID, IF YOU GO ON TO

OUR PLATFORM YOU WILL FIND CONTENT THAT IS CRITICAL OF

CHINA. » WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT.

THIS COMMITTEE IS LOOKING AT REFORMING SECTION 2:30 OF THE

COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT, ALREADY MENTIONED HERE TODAY,

DO YOU THINK THAT CENSORING HISTORY AND HISTORICAL FACTS,

CURRENT EVENTS, SHOULD BE PROTECTED BY SECTION 230, GOOD

FAITH REQUIREMENT? » THAT IS A MORE COMPLEX TOPIC,

CONGRESSMAN, I WOULD MEAN JUST SPEAK TO MY TEAM AND GET BACK

TO YOU ON THE SPECIFICS. » IS YOUR TEAM BEHIND YOU?

IT IS THE BROADER TEAM. » IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE

FOLKS BEHIND YOU. HERE ARE MY CONCERNS WITH

TIKTOK. FEWER CLAIMS ARE HARD TO

BELIEVE, NO SECRET TO US THAT TIKTOK IS STILL UNDER THE THUMB

OF CCP INFLUENCE. TIKTOK IS INDOCTRINATING OUR

CHILDREN WITH DIVISIVE, WALK AND PRO CCP PROPAGANDA.

ALL WHILE THREATENING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY OF CHINESE

SPYWARE. IN FACT, LET ME LOOK AT MY

NOTES HERE, YOU HAD AN EXCHANGE WITH AND AS YOU, AND YOU SAID

THAT QUOTE, EXTREME FITNESS VIDEOS SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED TOO

MUCH. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT EXCHANGE?

HERE TODAY? » WHAT EXTREMIST VIDEOS?

OUT OF CALIFORNIA, AN ISSUE. » ANY CONTENT WITH EXTREMIST

CONTENT IS NOT ALLOWED ON OUR PLATFORM.

WAS THAT ALSO TRUE ABOUT THE GARDEN VIDEO THAT YOU SAW TODAY?

WAS THAT EXTREME CONTENT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN?

I WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT THE SPECIFICS OF THE WHOLE VIDEO,

THERE WAS A BIT OF LAG, WE COULD NOT SEE THE WHOLE VIDEO.

THREATENED, OUR COMMITTEE CHAIR HERE.

THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. » YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT

EXTREME VIDEO. WHY DID IT TAKE 40 PLUS DAYS TO

GET IT DOWN? DOES IT TAKE AN ACT OF CONGRESS,

SHOULD WE PLAN TO HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING EVERY DAY,

EVERY TIME THERE IS SOMETHING BROUGHT UP SO THAT WE CAN LIMIT

THE CONTENT ON TIKTOK? SHOULD CONGRESS PLANNED TO DO

THAT? » WE WORK VERY HARD TO REMOVE

VIOLATED CONTENT ON OUR PLATFORM.

LET ME MOVE ON. CONGRESSMAN HUDSON ASKED YOU

ABOUT YOUR WAGES AND STOCKS, YOU SAID YOU PREFER TO KEEP

THAT INFORMATION PRIVATE. NOW YOU KNOW HOW WE FEEL ABOUT

AMERICAN PUBLIC INFORMATION, WE PREFER TO KEEP IT PRIVATE AS

WELL, WE DON’T THINK TIKTOK DOES THAT.

MADAM CHAIR, MY TIME IS OF, AND IF THIS COMMITTEE GETS ITS WAY,

TIKTOK’S TIME IS UP. » GENTLEMEN, GENTLEMAN’S TIME

IS EXPIRED, CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. LOUISE FROM CALIFORNIA.

THANK, YOU MADAM CHAIR. I RECOGNIZE MY COLLEAGUE’S

COMMENTS ON THE HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.

AS A DOCTOR AND THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE SELECT

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC I AM –

WITH MEDICALLY INACCURATE INFORMATION INCLUDING DANGEROUS

MISINFORMATION AND THE INTENTIONAL DISINFORMATION

ABOUT THE COVID-19 AND VACCINES.

TIKTOK COMMUNITY GUIDELINES STATE THAT THE COMPANY WILL

REMOVE CONTENT OR ACCOUNTS THAT INVOLVE QUOTE, MISLEADING

INFORMATION THAT CAUSES SIGNIFICANT HARM.

HOWEVER, SINCE THE EARLY STAGES OF THE PANDEMIC, TIKTOK HAS

BEEN USED AS A PLATFORM FOR PEOPLE PUSHING MISINFORMATION,

DISINFORMATION INCLUDING BY THOSE CASTING DOUBT ON THE

SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF LIFESAVING VACCINES.

DESPITE TIKTOK’S PLEDGE TO ADDRESS HARMFUL MISINFORMATION,

THESE VIDEOS ARE BEING VIEWED MILLIONS OF TIMES.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC DIALOGUE, FOUND THAT

A SAMPLE OF 124 TIKTOK VIDEOS CONTAINING VACCINE

MISINFORMATION WE REVIEWED 20 MILLION TIMES.

MEDIA MATTERS FOUND THAT EXAMPLE OF 18 VIDEOS WITH

COVID-19 MISINFORMATION WERE VIEWED OVER 57 MILLION TIMES.

HERE IS ANOTHER SHOCK STUDY. THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN MEDICAL

INFORMATICS ASSOCIATION FOUND THAT WHEN SEARCHING HASHTAG

CORONAVIRUS ON TIKTOK, ALMOST 30% OF THE VIDEOS THAT CAME UP

CONTAIN MISINFORMATION. VIDEOS IN THAT SAMPLE

CONTAINING A HIGH LEVEL OF MISINFORMATION REVIEWED A

MEDIAN OF 9.4 MILLION TIMES. WHY ARE THESE DANGEROUS VIDEOS

FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS OF YOUR COMPANY’S EFFORTS TO

ENFORCE ITS OWN COMMUNITY GUIDELINES AND REMOVE HARMFUL

MISINFORMATION? » BEFORE I ANSWER THAT, IN MY

RESPONSE – » YOU ARE ON MY TIME, ANSWER

MY QUESTION. » I UNDERSTAND.

I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY. » I HAVE FIVE MINUTES.

MY TIME. YOU ARE ON MY TIME NOW, ANSWER

MY QUESTION. » ANY DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION

IS, WE PARTNER WITH THIRD-PARTY EXPERTS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY

AND HELP WITH SUBJECT OWNING EXPERTISE.

AND WITH THE EXPERTISE THAT WE RECOGNIZE WE RELY ON THOSE TO

DEVELOP POLICIES, RECOGNIZE AND REMOVE CONTENT.

YOUR EFFORTS HAVE FAILED. AND THEY ARE DANGEROUS.

IT’S PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS THAT YOU ARE PUTTING MILLIONS OF

PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK, FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO DO A BETTER JOB.

AND I AM CONCERNED THAT TIKTOK’S FEATURES MAKE USERS

UNIQUELY VULNERABLE TO THE SPREAD OF THIS MISINFORMATION,

FOR EXAMPLE TIKTOK MAKES IT EXTREMELY EASY TO REUSE AUDIO

AND VIDEOS TO CREATE CONTENT. WHICH ALLOWS MISINFORMATION TO

QUICKLY SPREAD THROUGH THE PLATFORM.

AND TIKTOK’S ALGORITHM TO RECOMMEND VIDEOS, MEANS THAT I

USE REVIEWING ONE VIDEO CONTAINING MISINFORMATION CAN

EASILY RESULT IN THEIR QUOTE UNQUOTE FOR YOU PAGE BECOMING

FILLED WITH VIDEOS CONTAINING SIMILAR MISINFORMATION.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS FEEDBACK LOOP.

IS TIKTOK TAKING ANY ACTION TO MODIFY THESE FEATURES SO THAT

THEY NO LONGER FACILITATE THE SPREAD OF THE MISINFORMATION,

OR THIS FEEDBACK LOOP? » CONGRESSMAN, AGAIN, ANY

DANGEROUS MISS OR DISINFORMATION, WE WORK WITH

THIRD-PARTY AND IT IS PROACTIVELY REMOVED FROM OUR

PLATFORM. IT DOESN’T NEED TO GET INTO

THOSE LOOPS AT ALL. » I CAN GO BACK AND REVIEW THE

DATA, THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN MEDICAL AND INFORMATICS, 30% OF

VIDEOS AFTER SEARCHING FOR HASHTAG CORONAVIRUS HAD

MISINFORMATION. ALMOST ONE OUT OF THREE, YOUR

THIRD PARTY, IN YOUR COMPANY, MISSING ALMOST ONE OUT OF THREE

VIDEOS. YOU ARE TELLING ME WHAT YOU ARE

DOING, I’M TELLING YOU THAT THE DATA SHOWS THAT YOU ARE GROSSLY

FAILING AT THAT EFFORT. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR

YOU IS, TIKTOK IS ALSO IN SPANISH.

AND SPANISH SPEAKING POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN

SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO MISINFORMATION, WHEN IT COMES

TO MANY ASPECTS, ESPECIALLY MEDICAL MISINFORMATION AND AS

CHAIR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS WE REACHED OUT

TO YOU LAST CONGRESS ON THIS ISSUE.

SO WHAT IS YOUR INTENT, HOW DOES YOUR TEAM LOOK TO ADDRESS

SPANISH VERSUS ENGLISH? HOW MANY STUFF DO YOU HAVE,

FOCUSING ON SPANISH PRICES HOW MANY STAFF DO YOU HAVE FOCUSING

ON ENGLISH MISINFORMATION? » CONGRESSMAN, LIKE I

EXPLAINED JUST NOW, THE SPANISH SPEAKING POPULATION IS VERY

IMPORTANT TO OUR PLATFORM. WE DO HAVE SPANISH SPEAKING

MODERATORS. » SO HOW MANY SPANISH SPEAKING

STAFF VERSUS ENGLISH MAKING STAFF ON MISINFORMATION DO YOU

HAVE? » I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE

SPECIFICS BUT MISINFORMATION, DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION IS

MODERATED IN EVERY LANGUAGE. » NOT TO THE DEGREE THAT IT

NEEDS TO BE. WHEN THERE IS MISINFORMATION,

PEOPLE BASE THEIR DECISIONS THAT OFTENTIMES PUT THEM AT

RISK. AND EXPOSURES, THEIR FAMILIES

AT RISK. WITH THE CORONAVIRUS, PRIOR TO

THE VACCINES, THE RISK WAS THEIR LIFE.

THANK YOU, I YIELD BACK. » MADAM CHAIR I WOULD LIKE TO

CLARIFY SOMETHING, IN THE QUESTION TO REPRESENTATIVE –

BYTEDANCE BUYING ON BEHALF OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

MY ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION SHOULD BE A NO, BECAUSE IT CAME

VERY RAPIDLY. » GENTLEMAN’S TIME IS EXPIRED.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN FROM IDAHO, MR.

FULCHER. » THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

A LOT OF QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE

NOT BEEN ANSWERED. THE PRIMARY THING I WANT TO DO

IS SHARE SOME THOUGHTS OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN, AND LEARNED TODAY.

BEEN EXPOSED TO. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TO

COMPLIMENT YOU ON HAVING A PRODUCT THAT IS IMPRESSIVE.

IT IS VERY INFLUENTIAL, IT IS ADDICTIVE AND THAT IS WHAT YOU

WANT USERS TO BE EXPOSED TO, SOMETHING ADDICTIVE, AND IT IS

AT DATA GATHERING MASTERPIECE. SO CLEARLY IT HAS THE POTENTIAL

TO SELL PRODUCTS. CONNECTING LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE

WITH THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAPABILITY.

IN A VIRAL FASHION. AND PERHAPS SPREAD INFORMATION

QUICKER, BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAS BEEN IN

DEVELOPMENT OUT THERE. I’M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU, I

AM NOT A SUBSCRIBER, OR A WILLING SUBSCRIBER.

BUT PROBABLY IN THAT DATABASE SOMEWHERE IS MY PREFERENCES

WITH COLORS OR FOODS, WHO I HAVE SPOKEN TO OR WHAT I HAVE

SAID OR MY FAVORITE NEWSPAPERS. I DON’T KNOW.

THAT IS AVAILABLE TO BE SOLD OR GIVEN TO WHOMEVER OR WHATEVER,

AND THE WHATEVER IS WHAT BOTHERS ME.

I USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE. AND IF FOR WHATEVER REASON I

BECAME A TARGET IN THIS, I BECAME SOMEONE YOU DIDN’T LIKE,

I KNOW THAT WOULD BE HARD TO BELIEVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO

LIKE ME, LET’S SAY YOU DIDN’T, OR YOUR COMPANY DIDN’T OR FOR

WHATEVER REASON I BECAME AN APP TARGET.

THAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ALGORITHM COULD BE SHARED OR

SPREAD SELECTIVELY. TO A TARGETED AUDIENCE WITH

NEGATIVE INFORMATION, THAT MAYBE HAS BEEN PAIRED UP WITH

THAT KNOWLEDGE AND THAT APP, TO MAKE ME LOOK REALLY BAD.

OR, TO THE CONVERSE, SAME THING COULD BE DONE TO MAKE ME LOOK

REALLY, REALLY GOOD. HERE’S THE PROBLEM.

IT’S SOMEONE ELSE OR SOME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

ALGORITHM THAT HAS INORDINATE POWER TO SUBJECTIVELY COMBINE

STRATEGIC DATA WITH STRATEGIC AUDIENCES, TO SHAPE WHATEVER

THOUGHTS AND NEWS THEY WANT. AND I HAVE EQUIPPED IT, NOT

EVEN KNOWING IT. THAT PROCESS COULD APPLY TO

ANYONE OR ANYTHING. THERE IS THE DANGER.

IT COULD BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THEIR KIDS,

A COMPANY, A POLITICAL PARTY, A NEWS OUTLET, ANYTHING COULD BE

TARGETED FOR THAT SELECT VIRAL SPREAD OF JUST SOME

INFORMATION. THIS MAYBE GENIUS, BUT THAT

DOESN’T MAKE IT FAIR, IT DOESN’T MAKE IT GOOD AND IT

DOESN’T MAKE IT ACCOUNTABLE. I WOULDN’T WANT MY GOVERNMENT

TO HAVE THAT ABILITY. I WOULDN’T WANT A COMPANY OR A

POLITICAL PARTY OR MY FRIEND AUGUST HERE OR MY MOTHER-IN-LAW

TO HAVE THAT CAPABILITY AND I CERTAINLY DON’T WANT THAT TO BE

ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE IN CHINA. THERE IS NO QUESTION IT HAS

IMMENSE VALUE. AND AS PROOF OF THAT YOU ARE

HERE, BECAUSE THIS HAS NOT BEEN A FUN DAY.

I KNOW THAT. IT HAS NOT BEEN A FUN DAY FOR

US EITHER. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS

DIFFICULT TO MANAGE ONCE IT’S ON AUTO CRUISE CONTROL AND IT’S

NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO WALL OFF DATA.

I KNOW THE IDEA, I KNOW A BIT ABOUT DATABASES, CORRUPTION OF

THOSE DATABASES, IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO WALL THINGS OFF.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS THIS THING IN HUMAN NATURE

WHERE THERE ARE DARK COMPONENTS FROM TIME TO TIME, A TEMPTATION

TO MONETIZE THINGS, OR PERHAPS USE THESE TOOLS FOR NEFARIOUS

PURPOSES, AND THEY CAN HAVE ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING

CONSEQUENCES. SO I WILL WRAP UP MY COMMENTS

AND JUST SAY THAT, THIS IS SO ATTRACTIVE, TIKTOK POSES AS A

MR. ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD BUT IT ACTS LIKE BIG BROTHER.

AND THAT HAS TO STOP. MADAM CHAIR, I YIELD BACK.

THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. » GENTLEMAN YIELD.

ONE SECOND. » GENTLEMAN YIELDS.

GENTLEMAN YIELDS TO MR. MORGAN GRIFFITH.

I THANK YOU FOR YIELDING. » –

FILED AS AN EXHIBIT LAST WEEK WITH THE SUN IN AUSTRALIA.

IF YOU HAVE AN INCOME AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET OUT OF THIS

PARAGRAPH ON THE SUMMARY, OUR RESEARCH CONFIRMS BEYOND AN

IMPLAUSIBLE DOUBT – BYTEDANCE IS SUBJECT TO ALL THE

INFLUENCE AND DE FACTO CONTROL TO WHICH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST

PARTY NOW SUBJECTS ALL PLC COMMUNIST PARTIES.

– THE PARTY STATE HAVE EXTENDED

THEIR TIES INTO BYTEDANCE TO THE POINT THAT THE COMPANY CAN

NO LONGER BE ACCURATELY DESCRIBED AS A PRIVATE

ENTERPRISE. YOU KEEP CALLING IT A PRIVATE

ENTERPRISE BUT ALL THE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD ARE

SAYING, IT’S NOT A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, IT’S PART OF THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY. WHAT SAY YOU NEED, YES OR NO,

IS IT PART OF THE PARTY AS EVERYBODY THINKS OR ARE YOU

STILL LIVING IN SOME MYSTICAL WORLD?

I DISAGREE WITH MANY CONCLUSIONS.

YOU ARE LIVING IN THE MYSTICAL WORLD, I YIELD BACK.

YIELDS BACK, CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLELADY FROM

MINNESOTA, MISS CRAIG FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH MADAM CHAIR FOR YIELDING.

I AM PROBABLY LIKE A LOT OF PARENTS WHO ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF

CONGRESS OUT HERE, I KNOW A NUMBER OF US, WHEN YOU

TESTIFIED EARLIER TODAY YOU MENTIONED THAT THE OVER 35

SEGMENT WAS A GROWING GROUP OF POTENTIAL USERS.

AS IF OVER 35 IS OLD AND I REALIZE THAT MY OWN CHILDREN

THING THAT I’M ANCIENT, MY FOUR BOYS.

BUT LIKE A LOT OF US UP HERE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS

SOME POTENTIAL GOOD, AND OF COURSE MANY OF YOUR INFLUENCERS

ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.

BUT ONE THING IN YOUR TESTIMONY YOU SAID A LOT, WAS SAFETY.

BUT AS A MOTHER AND A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS

VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DRUG USE IN OUR COUNTRY, I WAS SURPRISED

THAT THAT DIDN’T COME UP ONCE IN YOUR TESTIMONY, NO REAL

REFERENCE TO IT HERE TODAY. I HAVE RAISED MY CONCERNS IN

GENERAL ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SERVING AS AN ILLEGAL

MARKETPLACE FOR DRUGS IN PRIOR BIG TECH HEARINGS, AND I PLAN

TO CONTINUE THAT FOCUS DURING TODAY’S HEARING.

MARCH 8TH, 2023 ARTICLE IN THE WASHINGTON POST DETAILED THE

FACT THAT TIKTOK HAS MADE LITTLE PROGRESS IN COMBATTING

THE SALE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ON YOUR PLATFORM.

IN FACT, COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL PHIL WISER SAID THAT

GETTING DRUGS ON A PLATFORM LIKE YOURS WAS NEARLY AS

CONVENIENT AS USING A PHONE TO ORDER A PIZZA OR CALL AN UBER.

THAT SAME ARTICLE MENTIONS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HAVE

BEEN FRUSTRATED BY TIKTOK’S LACK OF COMPETITION IN THE FORM

OF DATA SHARING. IN MY VIEW, TIKTOK HAS TAKEN

LITTLE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS CRISIS.

ACCORDING TO A MAY 22, BLOG POST FROM TIKTOK, YOU DONATED

$125,000 OR 0.001% OF YOUR 2022 REVENUE IN AN ANTI DRUG EFFORT,

IN THE FORM OF AD CREDITS. YOU ALSO DIRECTED HASHTAG DRUGS,

HASHTAG FENTANYL AND OTHER OBVIOUS HASHTAGS AWAY FROM POST

SELLING DRUGS TO A COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE AS IF A TEENAGER

LOOKING FOR DRUGS IS GOING TO LOOK FOR THEM AT HASHTAG DRUGS.

DRUG DEALERS HAVE EASILY WORKED THEIR WAY AROUND THIS USING

EMOJIS AND SLANG TOCOMMUNICATE THAT THEY HAVE DRUGS FOR SALE.

TO THIS DAY, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO LOG INTO YOUR

PLATFORM AND ACQUIRE DRUGS. AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT

CAN BE FATAL. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MOVE PAST

THESE TOKEN EFFORTS TO PREVENT TEENAGERS FROM ACCESSING DRUGS

ON YOUR PLATFORM? AS PARENTS UP HERE TODAY WE MAY

NOT UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR PLATFORM, I AM NOT A TECH

GURU. MANY OF US UP HERE MIGHT NOT

USE EXACTLY THE RIGHT LANGUAGE BUT WE KNOW WHEN OUR KIDS ARE

AT RISK. AND OUR KIDS ARE AT RISK ON

YOUR PLATFORM. SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO

MOVE PAST THE PREVIOUS TOKEN EFFORTS?

CONGRESSWOMAN, WE DO TAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS CONTENT ON OUR

PLATFORM VERY SERIOUSLY, IT VIOLATES OUR GUIDELINES,

PROACTIVELY IDENTIFYING AND REMOVING THEM.

AS YOU POINTED OUT IF ANYBODY SEARCHES FOR ANY DRUGS ON OUR

PLATFORM WE DO POINT THEM TO RESOURCES, TO HELP THEM WITH

THAT. AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE ALSO

TAKEN PRODUCT CHANGES. FOR EXAMPLE WE DON’T ALLOW

UNDER 16 USERS TO USE THE RIGHT, DIRECT MESSAGING.

AND THAT’S BECAUSE WE WANT, THERE WAS A TRADE-OFF HERE AND

WE BELIEVE THAT IT WILL PROTECT THESE YOUNGER USERS BETTER FROM

GETTING CONTACTS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO PUSH ILLEGAL

ACTIVITY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT.

NO COMPANY CAN BE PERFECT ON THIS.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE NO COMPANY CAN BE PERFECT LINE,

HAS BEEN USED WAY TOO MUCH TODAY.

I WILL RECLAIM MY TIME. CLEARLY IN THE THREE PLUS HOURS

YOU HAVE BEEN BEFORE US TODAY, WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT

PROJECT TEXAS JUST DOES NOT PASS THE SMELL TEST.

MY CONSTITUENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT TIKTOK AND THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY ARE CONTROLLING THEIR DATA, AND SEEING OUR OWN

VULNERABILITIES. IF YOU WERE AN AMERICAN COMPANY

WE COULD LOOK AT YOUR TEN K, WE COULD SEE WHO YOUR SHAREHOLDERS

ARE, THE ANSWER YOU PROVIDED EARLIER TODAY, YOU WOULD RATHER

NOT TELL US, WHAT YOUR COMPENSATION IS OR HOW IT IS

DERIVED, NO AMERICAN CEO WOULD LIKE TO TELL US THAT.

BUT THEY HAVE TO. BECAUSE THEY ARE AN AMERICAN

COMPANY. SO WHAT YOU ARE DOING DOWN IN

TEXAS, IT’S ALL WELL AND GOOD BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO

BE CONVINCED THAT OUR PRIVACY IS NOT AT RISK.

HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE PROTECTING AMERICAN USERS

PRIVACY WITH THE CCP BEING SO HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH BYTEDANCE?

IT’S NOT POSSIBLE. CHINA WON’T EVEN CARRY YOUR

PRODUCT. HOW IS IT THAT YOU CAN CONVINCE

US THAT OUR PRIVACY IS NOT AT RISK?

AND MORE THAN THAT, OUR KIDS PRIVACY IS NOT AT RISK.

IN THIS COUNTRY. » IN MY OPENING STATEMENT –

THANK, YOU MADAM CHAIR. » THE GENTLELADY’S TIME IS

EXPIRED. WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE.

ONE GENTLEMAN FROM GEORGIA, RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU MR. CHEW FOR BEING

HERE TODAY. SEPTEMBER 2020 WHEN THE WALL

STREET JOURNAL PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE TITLED HOW TIKTOK

SERVES UP SEX AND DRUG VIDEOS TO MINORS.

A CHILLING DEPICTION OF THE TYPES OF CONTENT THAT TIKTOKS

ALGORITHM IS CURATING FOR OUR CHILDREN.

THIS ARTICLE CLAIMS THAT YOUR APPLICATION SERVED AN ACCOUNT

THAT WAS REGISTERED AS A 13 YEAR OLD QUOTE, VIDEOS ABOUT

DRUG USE, IT REFERENCED TO COCAINE, METH ADDICTION AND

PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS FOR ONLINE SALES OF DRUGS.

WE ALL GREW THEM WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE DELIVERED COUNTLESS

VIDEOS DEPICTING PORNOGRAPHY AND OTHER ADULT CONTENT.

TO THE DEVICE OF AN ACCOUNT THAT WAS REGISTERED AS A 13

YEAR OLD. COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO THE

MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE AND PARENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHY

YOUR COMPANY TEAMS THAT ACCEPTABLE FOR SUCH

INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT TO BE PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON A

CHILD’S FOR YOU PAGE? » I’M ONE OF THE CONTENT THAT

YOU MENTIONED ARE VIOLATED OF OUR OWN GUIDELINES.

WE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY, I MENTIONED THIS, THIS IS AN

INDUSTRY WIDE CHALLENGE AND WE ARE INVESTING AS MUCH AS WE

CAN. WE DON’T THINK IT REPRESENTS

THE MAJORITY OF THE USERS EXPERIENCE ON TIKTOK THAT IT

DOES HAPPEN. SOME BAD ACTORS TRY AND COME IN

AND POST THIS CONTENT AND WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO INVEST AS

MUCH AS WE CAN TO REMOVE THEM. » I WOULD SAY YOU ARE NOT

DOING ENOUGH. I HAVE 14 GRANDCHILDREN, DO YOU

PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT SUCH CONTENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR

MINOR CHILDREN TO CONSUME? » A LOT OF THE CONTENT THAT

YOU MENTIONED, PORN FOR EXAMPLE IS NOT ALLOWED ON OUR PLATFORM.

SO NO, I DO NOT THINK THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

TO CONSUME. » EARLIER THIS WEEK THE WALL

STREET JOURNAL PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE TITLED, TIKTOK CHINESE

PARTNER HAS ANOTHER WILDLY POPULAR UP IN THE U.S..

THIS APP IS CALLED CAP CUT, A VIDEO EDITING TOOL TO HELP

USERS GO VIRAL ON TIKTOK. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS MOST OF OUR

ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON TIKTOK AND BYTEDANCE, BUT OTHER

COMPANIES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS ARE ALSO

CONTINUING TO EXPLAIN THE PRIVACY OF AMERICANS.

TIKTOK, CAPCUT, LARK, FACE YOU, ALL CONTROLLED BY BYTEDANCE.

AND POSED SERIOUS PRIVACY CONCERNS.

IN 2022, THE TOP BUZZ, AN INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF

BYTEDANCE CENSORED CHINESE NEWS APP WAS USED TO SPREAD PRO

CHINA MESSAGES TO AMERICANS. WHEN IT COMES TO THE DATA

PRIVACY OF AMERICANS WE MUST HAVE A CLEAR SET OF GUIDELINES

TO ENSURE AMERICANS DATA IS PROTECTED, AND NOT PASSED ALONG

TO UNKNOWN THIRD-PARTY ACTORS WHO COULD POSE A THREAT TO OUR

SECURITY. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO

CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO PASS A NATIONAL DATA PRIVACY

BILL, NOT JUST ONE OF THE HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE

BUT ALSO THROUGH THE HOUSE OF THIS CONGRESS.

IT IS THE ONLY SYSTEMATIC WAY WE CAN ADDRESS PRIVACY

CONCERNS. UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE BEEN GIVEN

NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT TIKTOK DOES NOT POSE A THREAT,

AND CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO FOLLOW OUR LAWS WHEN THEY CONFLICT

WITH THE DESIRES OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.

YOUR FIREWALL THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU HAD A BAD

ACTOR IN YOUR TEXAS INITIATIVE, COULD GET THROUGH THAT FIRE

WALL AND SENT ANY INFORMATION THAT THEY WANTED TO SEND

ANYWHERE, DIRECT TO THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.

WOULD YOU DENY THAT? » CONGRESSMAN, THIS RISK THAT

YOU TALK ABOUT EXISTS FOR EVERY COMPANY.

I’M TALKING ABOUT TIKTOK, SIR.

THE RISK IS LOWER FOR US. » IT IS A RISK, CORRECT?

THE RISK IS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN MOST COMPANIES IN THE

INDUSTRY. » THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO DEAL

WITH YOUR COMPANY, AND WITH THAT MADAM CHAIR I YIELD BACK.

GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK. CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN

FROM CALIFORNIA, MR. PETERS, FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. CHEW, THANKS FOR BEING HERE

TODAY. YOUR TESTIMONY DISCUSSED AN

EFFORT, YOUR COMPANY IS NAMED PROJECT TEXAS.

INCLUDING A FIREWALL BETWEEN UNITED STATES USER DATA AND

ENTITIES IN CHINA, SUSCEPTIBLE TO INFLUENCE BY CHINA’S

GOVERNMENT. WITH YOUR COMPANY’S RECENT

ANNOUNCEMENT BY XIPHIAS, IT HAS INSTRUCTED TIKTOK TO SEPARATE

ITSELF FROM BYTEDANCE OR FACE A BAN.

TIKTOK’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THIS FIREWALL IS NOT

A CROSSROADS. I WANT TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS

ABOUT YOUR COMPANY’S LONG TERM PLANS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND

SECURITY OF AMERICAN DATA. THIS IS THE CROSS OF THE

CONCERN FOR ME. DOES THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

NEED TO IMPROVE, APPROVE PROJECT TEXAS FOR TIKTOK TO

AGREE TO IT? » CONGRESSMAN, WE HAVE

DESIGNED PROJECT TEXAS TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE UNITED STATES.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DESCRIBED A LENGTH, IN THE

WRITTEN TESTIMONY AND IN MY OPENING STATEMENT.

THE FIREWALL OF AMERICAN DATA, ON AMERICAN SOIL BY AN AMERICAN

COMPANY, OVERSEEN BY AMERICAN PERSONNEL.

THIS IS DESIGNED FOR THE UNITED STATES.

DOES THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT NEED TO APPROVE PROJECT TEXAS

FOR YOU TO AGREE TO IT? » WE DO NOT BELIEVE SO.

HOW IS TIKTOK CONSIDERING THE FUTURE OF PROJECT TEXAS IN

THE ADVENTURE OF A SALE OR OTHER CHANGES, THE ELEMENTS

THAT TIKTOK WOULD CHANGE PRIOR TO, OR?

I CANNOT SPEAK ON THIS HYPOTHETICAL, ON POTENTIAL

OWNERS, WHO I CANNOT REPRESENT. » YOU DON’T KNOW.

OKAY. » I DON’T KNOW, YES.

DESPITE PROJECT TEXAS’S PLANNED PROJECT CHANGES IT DOES

INCLUDE SEVERAL BROAD EXCEPTIONS THAT WOULD ALLOW

LARGE AMOUNTS OF U.S. USER DATA TO ROUTINELY LEAVE THE COUNTRY.

I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THESE EXCEPTIONS SO I CAN UNDERSTAND

WHETHER PROJECT TEXAS CAN LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISE, PROTECTING

AMERICANS USER DATA. I UNDERSTAND UNDER PROJECT

TEXAS BUSINESS DATA AND PUBLIC DATA WILL BE PERMITTED TO

REGULARLY LEAVE THE UNITED STATES, IS THAT CORRECT?

ALMOST ALL THE DATA IS, THAT IS NOT PUBLIC, IS UNDER THE

DEFINITION OF PROTECTED DATA. THIS ACCEPTED DATA THAT YOU

MENTIONED, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THIS, IT’S REALLY FOR –

TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUSINESS CAN STILL OPERATE ON AMERICAN

USERS ARE STILL GETTING THE BENEFIT.

WHERE THE DATA GOES AND HOW IT IS USED BY THE COMPANY?

IT WOULD TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES, I CAN GET

BACK TO YOU ON THE SPECIFICS. IT’S STATED THAT CANNOT BE USED

TO IDENTIFY USERS SO IT REALLY IS DATA THAT HAS THE –

WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE WILL

HAVE IT BE ENFORCED. » –

WILL YOU DISCUSS WHERE THE DATA GOES AND HOW IT’S USED BY

THE COMPANY, HOW AND AT WHAT POINT OF DATA TRANSFER DOES THE

U.S. DATA FEED THE PRC ALGORITHM USED BY TIKTOK?

TIKTOK IS NOT AVAILABLE IN CHINA.

THE PRC DEVELOPED ALGORITHMS USED BY TIKTOK, HOW DOES U.S.

DATA GET FED BY THAT? » THE ALGORITHM THAT LEADS TO

THE U.S. UP IS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, TRAINED BY THE

U.S. AND GLOBAL DATA. TIKTOK IS NOT AVAILABLE IN

MAINLAND CHINA. » HOW CAN WE TRUST THAT THESE

EXCEPTIONS FOR PROJECT TEXAS WON’T BE USED OR ABUSED BY THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT OR FOREIGN ADVERSARIES?

THIRD PARTY MONITORS INCLUDING THE DEFINITIONS OF

THESE EXCEPTIONS, WE CAN BE VERY TRANSPARENT AND HOW THEY

ARE USED. » I GUESS MY QUESTION WILL BE,

YOU WANT TO GET BACK TO ME IN WRITING, THAT IS FINE.

BUT HOW WE WOULD DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE DATA OR

INTEROPERABILITY YOU SUGGEST NEEDS TO BE SHARED, WITH WHAT

DATA WOULDN’T BE SHARED. » AGAIN, FIRST OF ALL, PUBLIC

DATA, IT’S NOT PART OF THE PROTECTED DATA DEFINITION

BECAUSE PUBLIC DATA IS WHAT USERS WANT TO SHARE GLOBALLY SO

WE CAN POST A VIDEO, AND YOU WANT SOMEONE TO FRANCE, TO SEE,

IT IT HAS TO LEAVE THE UNITED STATES.

THERE ARE CERTAIN AGGREGATED, NOT ADVISED DATA SETS USEFUL

FOR INTEROPERABILITY FOR ADVERTISING FOR EXAMPLE.

PART OF WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE SPECIFICS.

I ALSO WANT TO KNOW HOW, WHAT OVERSIGHT AND ENFORCEMENT

WE CAN COUNT ON. » I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE

SPECIFICS. » THANK YOU, I YIELD BACK.

GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK, GENTLEMAN FROM SOUTH TEXAS MR.

FLUTTERS RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I HAVE TO HAND IT TO YOU, THIS

HAS NOT HAPPENED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAYBE VLADIMIR

PUTIN. YOU HAVE UNIFIED REPUBLICANS

AND DEMOCRATS, IF ONLY FOR A DAY WE ARE ACTUALLY UNIFIED

BECAUSE WE HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS.

THIS TIKTOK SUPPORT GOOD? IS TIKTOK A PLATFORM FOR GOOD?

YES OR NO? » I BELIEVE YES.

SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH? » YES IT’S ONE OF THE

COMMITMENTS I HAVE GIVEN THIS COMMITTEE.

DO YOU PERSONALLY SUPPORT THE FIRST AMENDMENT?

CONGRESSMAN, I’M HERE TO TALK ABOUT –

AS THE CEO OF TIKTOK. » AS THE CEO OF TIKTOK.

I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT TIKTOK.

DOES THE CEO, DOES TIKTOK SUPPORT GENOCIDE?

NO. BUT –

I AM RECLAIMING MY TIME. I’M GOING TO GO TO A VIDEO NOW,

I’D LIKE YOU TO SEE ENES KANTER FREEDOM, HE SPENT HIS ENTIRE

CAREER FIGHTING AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS WITHIN THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY. GO AHEAD AND PLAY THIS VIDEO

WHICH HIGHLIGHTS A SITUATION THAT ALLEGEDLY SHOWS HUMAN

VIOLATION RIGHTS INSIDE CHINA. [SCREAMING] THIS WAS A VIDEO

THAT WAS POSTED ON TIKTOK BY ENES KANTER FREEDOM, ARE YOU

FAMILIAR WITH THIS BASKETBALL PLAYER?

I’M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SPECIFICS.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAYER?

I AM NOT FAMILIAR OF THIS. YOU JUST HAVE TO OPEN TIKTOK

AND SEARCH FOR THIS KIND OF CONTENT.

I HAVE READ THE MODERATION POLICY, LET ME QUOTE, YOU HAVE

TALKED ABOUT CONTENT MODERATION, TIKTOK HAS A MODERATION POLICY,

YES? » WE HAVE COMMUNITY

GUIDELINES. » ONE OF THE GUIDELINES SAYS,

MATERIAL THAT IN THE SOLE JUDGMENT OF TIKTOK IS

OBJECTIONABLE, IS THIS AN EXAMPLE, BANNING ANNEX KANTER

FREEDOM, IS THAT AN EXAMPLE OF OBJECTIONABLE MATERIAL INSIDE

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY AND MAINLAND CHINA?

WE DO NOT TAKE DOWN CONTENT SIMPLY BECAUSE IT’S CRITICAL OF

CHINA. » IT WAS BANNED NOT ONE WEEK

AFTER THIS VIDEO. » WE DO NOT DO THAT, –

IF YOU NEED A NOTE, GO AHEAD.

THE NOTE SAYS HE’S NOT BANNED.

HIS ACCOUNT WAS TAKEN OFF ONE WEEK AFTER.

WE CAN CHECK ON THE SPECIFICS AFTER.

WE CAN CHECK. LET’S GET SOME OTHER QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR THE SLIDE. YOUR PRIVACY POLICY STATES THAT

YOU COLLECT DATA, KEYSTROKE PATTERNS, HAPPENINGS AND TITLES,

SOMETIMES APPROXIMATE LOCATIONS, U.P.S. LOCATION.

OUR KEYSTROKE PATTERNS AND RHYTHMS PART OF THE DATA

GATHERED BY TIKTOK? » IF YOU ARE TALKING

SPECIFICALLY ABOUT KEYSTROKES, WE DO NOT ENGAGE IN KEYSTROKE

LOGGING, IT IS TO IDENTIFY BOTS.

IT’S FOR SECURITY PURPOSES. THIS IS A STANDARD INDUSTRY

PRACTICE. » YOU GATHER A LOT OF DATA, IT

IS SAFE TO SAY. » WE DON’T BELIEVE MORE THAN

ANY OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.

YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION AS YOU SAT IN MY OFFICE AND TOLD

ME WAS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO EACH OTHER, AROUND THE WORLD.

YOU TOLD ME THIS IN MY OFFICE. SO YOU GATHER DATA ON WHAT THEY

LIKE AND WHAT THEY DON’T LIKE AND THEN YOU SHOW THEM THINGS

THAT THEY DON’T KNOW THEY LIKE, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY MAY.

YOU TOLD ME THIS. » I DON’T THINK THAT’S WHAT I

SAID. WHAT I SAID IS THAT WE CONNECT

PEOPLE TOGETHER, YES. THAT DOESN’T MEAN THE –

ARE YOU AWARE OF INSTANCES OF DISTRIBUTING CONTENT FROM

CHINESE STATE MEDIA? » I’M SORRY?

ARE YOU AWARE OF INSTANCES OF TIKTOK DISTRIBUTING CONTENT

FROM CHINESE STATE MEDIA ON THE PLATFORM?

WE WILL LABEL THEM CLEARLY TO FOREIGN USERS TO UNDERSTAND

THAT. » DO YOU DISAGREE WITH FBI

DIRECTOR WRAY AND AND AS A DIRECTOR WHEN THEY SAID THAT

THE CCP COULD HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO MANIPULATE DATA

AND SEND IT TO THE UNITED STATES?

DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THEIR STATEMENT?

THE STATEMENT SAYS COULD. » DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT?

NO, I DON’T DISAGREE WITH THAT.

SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CCP, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF

BYTEDANCE YOUR PARENT COMPANY WHICH YOU GET PAID FROM, HAS

THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE CONTACT THAT IS BEING SHARED

WITH 130 MILLION AMERICANS, HE HAS?

CONGRESSMAN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I’M UNDERSTANDING OF THE

QUESTIONS, I DON’T DISAGREE THAT DATA RISKS IN GENERAL,

THAT’S WHAT I MEANT. » ARE THERE ENGINEERS LOCATED

INSIDE CHINA THAT WORK ON TIKTOK?

WE ARE NOT THE ONLY COMPANY THAT HAS THAT.

ARE THERE ENGINEERS INSIDE MAINLAND CHINA CURRENTLY ON THE

ALGORITHM FOR TIKTOK. » LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE OTHER

COMPANIES, AS I TOLD YOU IN YOUR OFFICE.

I WILL RECLAIM MY TIME. PLEASE RENAME YOUR PROJECT,

TEXAS IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE NAME, WE STAND FOR FREEDOM AND

TRANSPARENCY AND WE DON’T WANT YOUR PROJECT.

I YIELD BACK. » THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

THE GENTLELADY FROM TENNESSEE IS RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES

MISSES HARSHBARGER. » THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND

THANK YOU MR. CHEW FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

BOTH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND NOW PRESIDENT BIDEN HAVE FORESEEN

TIKTOK TO SELL TO AN AMERICAN COMPANY, HOWEVER THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY HAS PUT EXPORT CONTROLS ON ALGORITHMS,

BYTEDANCE THAT POWERS TIKTOK. CREATING A GAUNTLET OF

REGULATORY HURDLES IN CHINA AND THE U.S. THAT PROHIBIT THE SALE

OF TIKTOK. HAS A LONG TIME BUSINESS OWNER

I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WAITING UNTIL YOUR HANDS ARE FORCED

WILL ONLY DRIVE DOWN THE PRICE OF YOUR APP, AND RIGHT NOW BOTH

OF YOUR HANDS ARE TIED, AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A

DECISION ABOUT WHETHER YOU CHOOSE FREEDOM FROM THE CCP OR

YOU CONTINUE TO BE AN AGENT OF THE CCP.

AND I WILL TELL YOU WHY I SAY IT THAT WAY, AS A FORMER MEMBER

OF HOMELAND SECURITY, I POINT BLANK ASK FBI DIRECTOR WRAY, IS

TIKTOK A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT?

WITHOUT HESITATION SIR, HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, YES,

CONGRESSWOMAN IT IS. NOW, HOW MUCH DATA IS BYTEDANCE

COLLECTING THROUGH TIKTOK THAT IS WORTH CONTINUING TO FIGHT

THIS REGULATORY CONFLICT? WHY NOT TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

LIKE ANY OTHER COMPANY WOULD DO? » CONGRESSWOMAN, WE BUILD

PROJECT TEXAS IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD, AND WE LISTENED TO

THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED, BUILDING SOMETHING THAT

IS UNPRECEDENTED, NO OTHER COMPANY IS OFFERING, TO PROTECT

USER INTERESTS IN U.S.. WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS ROBUST,

AND WE ARE OFFERING THIRD-PARTY TRANSPARENCY, MONITORS TO COME

IN AND VERIFY THIS. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY GOOD

REASON WHY THIS DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF RHETORIC,

BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD A GOOD REASON WHY IT DOESN’T WORK.

I LOOK FORWARD TO THESE CONVERSATIONS, BY THE WAY.

LET ME GO DOWN THIS ROAD. ONE TIKTOK WAS UNVEILED TO THE

PUBLIC’S BUSINESS MODEL WAS SOLELY BASED ON GENERATING

REVENUE FROM ADVERTISING, BYTEDANCE OPERATED SEPARATE APP

CALLED DOUYIN FOR THE CHINESE MARKETPLACE.

IT’S EMBARKING ON BECOMING A SUPER APP, IN OTHER WORDS IT’S

A ONE STOP SHOP WITH EVERYTHING YOU DO REPRESENTED.

IT’S REPORTED THAT TIKTOKS ALGORITHMS ARE SO POWERFUL THAT

OWNER BYTEDANCE HAS BEGUN TO LICENSE IT TO OTHER COMPANIES.

TIKTOK’S RECOMMENDATION ENGINE DRIVES USAGE ON THE PLATFORM,

THIS LEADS TO PROMISES OF QUICK EXPOSURE AND FAME THAT LEADS TO

EVEN MORE PEOPLE JOINING. AND WHEN YOU SIGN UP, TIKTOK

STARTS COLLECTING DATA ABOUT YOU, YOUR LOCATION, YOUR GENDER,

YOUR AGE, YOUR FACIAL DATA, THE USER NEVER GETS TO THE END OF

THE CONTENT AND THAT IS BY DESIGN.

AND OBVIOUSLY THAT MAKES YOU A LOT OF MONEY.

I KNOW THAT THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY IS PREVENTING

BYTEDANCE FROM SELLING TIKTOK DUE TO EXPORT RESTRICTIONS ON

THE TECHNOLOGY, AND THIS CAUSES ME TO QUESTION, HOW ARE YOU

GOING TO POWER TIKTOK WITH YOUR ORACLE SERVERS LOOKING INTO THE

U.S. WITH THAT TEXAS PROJECT, WITH BYTEDANCE TECHNOLOGY, IF

IT CAN’T LEAVE CHINA? HOW IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN?

I JUST WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN HOW IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.

THE WAY THAT WE DESIGN THIS IS SO THAT ANY PIECE OF

SOFTWARE THAT IS IMPACTFUL TO THE CODE, THAT ENTERS, THERE

ARE TECHNICAL DETAILS AROUND THIS, WILL BE REVIEWED BY A

THIRD PARTY OR A FEW PARTY MONITORS, JUST TO BE SURE THAT

WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE CODE.

I WANT TO SAY THIS AGAIN, I DON’T KNOW OF ANY OTHER COMPANY

IN MY INDUSTRY WHO IS OFFERING THIS LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY.

WHY ARE THERE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF APPS, ONE IN CHINA

AND ONE IN THE UNITED STATES? » IT’S JUST A DIFFERENT

BUSINESS. » I THINK WE ALL KNOW THE

REASON THAT THE CHINESE GET A DIFFERENT VERSION, BECAUSE

BYTEDANCE PUT CHINA FIRST AND AMERICA LAST.

TIKTOK HAS, WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE HEARD TODAY, WHEN YOU SEE

13-YEAR-OLDS, 16 YEAR OLDS, YOU HAVE SEEN THE DEGRADATION THAT

IS HAPPENING TO OUR YOUTH AND OUR SOCIETY, IT IS DECEPTIVE,

AND IT IS DESTRUCTIVE, AND THE WORST THING IS THAT IT IS

DELIBERATE. THAT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE.

WITH THAT CHAIRWOMAN I YIELD BACK.

GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK, GENTLELADY FROM IOWA,

MILLER-MEEKS, REPRESENTED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. CHEW, HAVING BEEN IN THE

HOT SEAT BEFORE WHEN I WAS IN STATE SENATE, I KNOW HOW

CHALLENGING THIS CAN BE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEMEANOR

THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS. BUT CERTAINLY AS YOU CAN SEE IN

A BIPARTISAN WAY WE HAVE CONCERNS AND THOSE CONCERNS ARE

VALID. THIS IS A YES OR NO QUESTION.

DOES TIKTOK TRACK USERS INDIVIDUAL KEYSTROKES?

ONLY FOR SECURITY PURPOSES. FOR EXAMPLE DETECTING BOTS, BUT

WE DON’T MONITOR WHAT USERS SAY.

SO THE ONLY PURPOSE THAT YOU WOULD MONITOR KEYSTROKES IS FOR

SECURITY PURPOSES? » I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON

MORE SPECIFICS BUT THIS IS NOT UNLIKE MANY OTHER COMPANIES IN

THE INDUSTRY DO. » SO THE KEYSTROKE MONITORING

DOES NOT GO BEYOND WHAT COMMON INDUSTRY PRACTICE AND

COMPARISON TO PLATFORMS LIKE FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM USE?

YES, I BELIEVE SO. » AND THIS TIKTOK KEEP RECORDS

OF USERS CREDIT CARDS AND PASSWORDS?

I’M NOT AWARE OF THAT. YOU DON’T NEED THAT TO LOG IN,

I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE SPECIFICS.

IF YOU MAKE A TRANSACTION ON AN E-COMMERCE PLATFORM.

BUT ALL OF THE U.S. DATA WILL BE STORED WITHIN THE PROJECT

TEXAS FIREWALL. WITHIN THE ORACLE CLOUD

INFRASTRUCTURE AND OVERSEEN BY AMERICAN –

SO YOU WOULD STORE CREDIT CARD AND PASSPORT INFORMATION?

I NEED TO CHECK ON THE SPECIFICS, WE ARE LAUNCHING A

PILOT E-COMMERCE PLAN AND WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT DATA IS

VERY SECURE, WITHIN THE ORACLE CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE.

I THINK YOU HAVE MADE A POINT OF SAYING THAT YOUR

PLATFORM IS NOT DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PLATFORMS ON SOCIAL

MEDIA. AND THEREFORE ARE NO MORE

RESPONSIBLE THAN FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM, OR TWITTER, OR ANY

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. THE CONCERN, HOWEVER, HOMES

WITH WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY IS GENERATED, AND WHOM IT IS OWNED

BY. AND IN THE CASE OF OTHER

COMPANIES, IT IS GENERATED IN THE U.S., UNDER U.S. GUIDELINES,

UNDER U.S. PRIVACY LAWS, WITH CERTAIN PARAMETERS, VERSUS

GENERATED THROUGH A PARENT COMPANY WHICH AS WE KNOW IS

SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE LAWS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY WHICH

HAS ACCESS TO ALL OF THAT DATA INFORMATION.

I UNDERSTAND THAT TIKTOK HAS JUST REINSTATED IN EIGHT

KANTOR’S ACCOUNT. RECENTLY SO THE QUESTION I HAVE

FOR YOU IS WHY WOULD CHINA OR THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY BE

OPPOSED TO A SALE OF TIKTOK? » I CANNOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, I CAN SAY THAT WE DESIGNED PROJECT

TEXAS TO TAKE IT FORWARD HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE IN OFFICE, UNPRECEDENTED PROTECTION FOR

U.S. USER DATA. » I THINK THE PROBLEM IS WHEN

THERE IS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY THAT LEADS PEOPLE TO BELIEVE

THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE ENOUGH AREAS AND THAT THERE IS

IN FACT DATA THAT IS CAPTURED, STORED, AND POSES A RISK NOT

ONLY TO CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES BUT ALSO AS NATIONAL

SECURITY. I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME TO

MY COLLEAGUE. » I THINK THE GENTLELADY FROM

IOWA FOR YIELDING. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE OUR

DISCUSSION ABOUT PROJECT TEXAS AND THE TECHNICAL DETAILS ABOUT

WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING TO DO. YOU ARE MIGRATING ALL STORAGE

OF U.S. USER DATA TO THE ORACLE CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE, AND YOU

THINK THAT WILL BE DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IS THAT RIGHT?

AGAIN, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE TECHNICAL PARTS OF IT,

THE MIGRATION BY DEFAULT, ALL NEW U.S. DATA IS STORED.

I’M JUST USING WHAT YOU SAID IN YOUR TESTIMONY IN YOUR

OPENING HERE. » IT IS STORED BY DEFAULT,

WHAT I SAID IN MY TESTIMONY IS I’M DELETING LEGACY DATA.

WHO, WHEN THIS MIGRATION IS COMPLETE, WILL HAVE ACCESS TO

THAT DATA? » RIGHT NOW A TEAM CALLED

TIKTOK U.S. DATA SECURITY, BY AMERICAN PERSONNEL, WE HAVE

ACCESS TO THAT. WE HAVE BEGUN THESE OPERATIONS

ALREADY. » BUT THE APP ITSELF HAS

ACCESS TO THE DATA, CORRECT? » ONLY THROUGH THEM.

ANY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE THE DATA –

WHAT I MEAN IS, IF I LOSE MY IPHONE AND I REINSTALLED THE

APP AND I PUT MY USERNAME AND PASSWORD, MY APP WILL CONNECT

TO THE MOTHERSHIP AND DOWNLOAD SOME OF THAT DATA.

THAT’S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS, NO, IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE

ORACLE CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT TEAM.

I REALIZE THAT. LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

WHAT WOULD PREVENT THEM, SOMEONE WITH DETAILED TECHNICAL

KNOWLEDGE OF THE WAY THE APP IS CONSTRUCTED, FROM CREATING AN

ALMOST IDENTICAL VERSION OF THE APP THAT COULD ALSO ACCESS THAT

DATA? » WE ARE GIVING YOU

THIRD-PARTY MONITORS AND TRANSPARENCY.

BUT THEY ARE MONITORING THE SOURCE CODE FOR YOUR APP.

BYTEDANCE, THESE ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS UP FOR

YEARS. WHAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM

MAKING ENOUGH THAT COULD ALSO ACCESS THAT DATA?

I THINK WE ARE GOING INTO THE ERA, WHAT IF THERE IS A

HACKER, WHAT, IF THERE IS THIS. THIS IS A COMMON INDUSTRY

PROBLEM. » I SEE MY TIME IS EXPIRED.

ILLUSTRATES THE POINT. I’M JUST SKEPTICAL THAT YOU

WILL BE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU PROMISED.

I RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE RUN OVER, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

WE HAVE A FEW MEMBERS LEFT AND WOULD APPRECIATE THE CHANCE FOR

THEM TO GET TO ASK FOR FIVE MINUTES WORTH OF QUESTIONS.

GENTLEMAN FROM VIRGINIA. » YOU SHARE LEGAL COUNSEL

LAWYERS WITH BYTEDANCE. YES OR NO.

AND YOU TESTIFIED THAT YOU PREPARED FOR THIS HEARING, YES

OR NO? » WITH MY TEAM INCLUDING SOME

OF – » YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL.

DID THEY TELL YOU ABOUT THE REPORT TO THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE

OF MARCH 14TH THAT I REFERENCED EARLIER, THEY TELL YOU THAT

THAT REPORT WAS OUT THERE? YES OR NO?

I CANNOT RECALL HOW I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE REPORT.

BUT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE REPORT.

DID THEY TELL YOU TO CITE THE CITIZENS LAB IN YOUR

WRITTEN TESTIMONY TODAY, YES OR NO?

CONGRESSMAN, I NEED TO GET YOU BACK ON SPECIFICS.

THEY HELP DO WITH PREPARATION OF YOUR WRITTEN

STATEMENT, DIDN’T THEY? ?

A TEAM PREPARED, YES. » DID THEY TELL YOU THAT THE

DIRECTION, THE DIRECTOR HAS CALLED OUT YOUR COMPANY FOR

MISREPRESENTING THEIR REPORT, REPEATEDLY AND DID SO AS LATE

AS YESTERDAY. DID THEY TELL YOU ABOUT THAT,

YES OR NO? » –

WHICH IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR THE LAST FOUR

HOURS. » BUT YOU CITED IT FAVORABLY

AS SAYING IT DID POSITIVE THINGS FOR YOU.

LET ME ASK YOU THIS. YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT

TRANSPARENCY. BUT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN

TRANSPARENT WITH US HERE TODAY. YOU WERE ASKED EARLIER BY MR.

HUDSON IF YOU OWNED STOCK IN BYTEDANCE.

YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T WANT TO REVEAL THAT.

WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TIRES ARE BETWEEN

BYTEDANCE AND TIKTOK. I’M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU HOW

MANY SHARES YOU OWN, BUT DO YOU OWN SHARES IN BYTEDANCE, SIR?

YES, I DO. » THERE YOU GO.

HOW ABOUT IN TIKTOK? » RIGHT NOW, ALL EMPLOYEES OWN

SHARES. » I EXPECTED THAT.

I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DIDN’T TELL MR. HUDSON THAT,

TRANSPARENT EARLIER, YOU MADE US DRAG IT OUT OF YOU.

ALL RIGHT, NOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE KIDS.

YOU TOLD SEVERAL OF OUR FOLKS THAT THERE WAS A 60 MINUTE

DEADLINE AND THAT IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YOU COULD

NOT ACCESS THE LIVE OPTION. SO I TEXTED MY 17-YEAR-OLD AND

MY 15 YEAR OLD, AND I BASICALLY GOT SCOFFS BACK, WHEN I SAID,

ARE YOU ON LIMITED TO 60 MINUTES?

MY OLDER SON SAID, THERE IS A NOTICE I GET FROM TIME TO TIME

THAT SAID I SHOULDN’T BE ON MORE THAN 60 MINUTES, BUT IT’S

NEVER KICKED ME OFF AND MY YOUNGER SON SAID, I’M ON AS

LONG AS I WANT TO BE. WHOEVER INFORMED YOU,

PARTICULARLY IF IT’S YOUR LEGAL TEAM, THAT IS NOT ACCURATE,

THAT THEY ARE ON FOR MORE THAN 60 MINUTES AND THEY CAN ACCESS

THE LIVE SECTION, I BELIEVE IT WAS MR. CARTER THAT YOU SAID,

UNDER 18 YOU CAN’T ACCESS THE LIVE SECTION.

HE HAS DONE IT, SO WHATEVER IT IS YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING,

IT’S NOT GETTING DONE. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE LAW FOR A

MINUTE. YOU SHARE A LEGAL TEAM BUT YOU

KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE A FIREWALL BETWEEN YOU AND

BYTEDANCE. YOU CAN’T HAVE AN EFFECTIVE

FIREWALL UNDER THE UNITED STATES INTERPRETATION OF SUCH,

IF YOU ARE SHARING LEGAL COUNSEL BECAUSE EVERYTHING YOU

SAY TO YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL THEY CAN SHARE INTERNALLY.

IF YOU HAVE THE SAME LAWYERS, MAYBE YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT

TEAMS OF LAWYERS IN THE LAW FIRM BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU

SAID TO US TODAY. YOU SAID YOU SHARE LAWYERS.

THERE IS NO FIREWALL, LEGALLY. I’M JUST TELLING YOU.

SO IF YOU WANT TO CLEAN IT UP AND BE TRANSPARENT, YOU NEED TO

DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. WOULDN’T YOU AGREE?

YES OR NO? THAT YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING

ABOUT THAT? » CONGRESSMAN –

YES, YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING INTO IT THE WHOLE TIME.

WHEN ASKED IF YOU ARE EMPLOYEES WERE MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY HAD ACCESS TO TIKTOK DATA FROM THE U.S., YOU

SAID YOU DIDN’T KNOW WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST

PARTY. BUT THEN TO CONGRESSMAN WALBERG

YOU SAID THE CEO OF TIKTOK WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY AND CONGRESSMAN KELLY, YOU SAID THE FOUNDER OF

TIKTOK WAS NOT A NUMBER OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.

SIR, EITHER YOU KNOW WHO ISN’T OR IS A MEMBER OR YOU DON’T.

WHICH ONE IS? IT I SUMMONED THAT YOU KNOW AND

YOU JUST AREN’T GIVING US THE STRAIGHT STORY.

CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU DENIED THAT.

I CAN ASK ONE OR TWO PEOPLE, BUT WE DON’T HAVE A POLICY FOR

OUR EMPLOYEES. » BUT IT’S REASONABLE TO

ASSUME THAT WITH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE

COUNTRY, OF CHINA BEING MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY,

THAT LOGIC WOULD TELL US, YOU ARE A LOGICAL MAN I ASSUME,

THAT THERE ARE A FAIR NUMBER OF YOUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE MEMBERS,

WHO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DATA.

AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I CAN ASK ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.

WE DON’T HAVE A POLICY. » YOU’RE LIVING IN SOME KIND

OF CLOUD WORLD. BECAUSE EITHER YOU KNOW OR YOU

DON’T KNOW. I YIELD BACK, THANK YOU MA’AM.

GENTLEMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, CHAIR RECOGNIZES FOR

FIVE MINUTES. » I THINK WHAT’S BEEN REVEALED,

THERE’S A DEGREE OF SEPARATION BETWEEN BINANCE AND TIKTOK, I

WOULD LIKE TO THE HERITAGE – TIKTOK GENERATION CCP OFFICIAL

IN EVERY POCKET. » WITHOUT OBJECTIONS TO ORDER.

I LIKE TO YIELD MY TIME TO KELLY ARMSTRONG FROM NORTH

DAKOTA. » THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

MR. CHU, THE TIKTOK PRIVACY – EXTENSIVE DATA –

ONE LINE STATES THAT WE MAY COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT YOU

FROM OTHER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE SOURCES.

WHAT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA IS TIKTOK COLLECTING AND ADDING TO

THE PROFILES OF USERS? » IT WILL BE PUBLICLY

AVAILABLE, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON SPECIFICS.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING EVEN MORE DATA ON WHO

USES BEYOND THE DATA FROM THE PLATFORM?

WE COLLECT DID – A LOT OF TRANSPARENCY ON WHAT

DATA WE COLLECT, CHOICES ON THE CONTROLS OF THE PRIVACY

SETTINGS. IT IS TO SERVE THEM A BETTER

EXPERIENCE. THIS IS THE REASON WHY SO MANY

PEOPLE LOVE THE APP. IT’S A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

SO, HOW DOES THE NON-TIKTOK RELATED DATA SERVICE PROVIDER

RELATE TO THE SERVICE PROVIDED. » I NEED TO CHECK THE

SPECIFICS AND UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION AND GET BACK TO.

OKAY. DO YOU THINK THE AVERAGE TIKTOK

USER KNOWS THAT YOU ARE, AND UNDERSTANDS, THAT TIKTOK DATA

COLLECTION EXTENDED INFORMATION OUTSIDE THE USE OF THE APP?

WE DO GIVE TRANSPARENT INFORMATION ON THIS, LIKE I

SAID, I DON’T BELIEVE WE COLLECT MORE INFORMATION THAN

MOST OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS OUT THERE.

THE REASON I ASK THIS, I’M GONNA GO BACK INTO THE –

YOU DESCRIBED THAT TIKTOK IS A SUBSIDIARY OF –

MR. GRIFFIN JUST SAID THAT YOU GUYS SHARE THE SAME LAWYERS.

YOU HAVE STATED THAT YOU YOU HAVE A DIRECT REPORT –

YOU’VE ALSO STATED THAT AT CERTAIN LEVELS, TIKTOK OPERATES

WITHOUT DIRECT DAILY CONTROL FROM –

YOU’VE USED CONTENT MODERATION AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THAT.

TIKTOK’S PRIVACY POLICY STATES THAT YOU MAY SHARE USER DATA

WITHIN YOUR CORPORATE GROUP. IS THAT CORPORATE GROUP INCLUDE

BYTEDANCE? » IF YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THAT

ONE ENTITY THAT HAS FOUR CHINESE MEDIA LATENCY IF YOU

TALK ABOUT THAT ENTITY, THE GOVERNMENT SHARE, THE ANSWER IS

WE HAVE CUT OFF ACCESS OF U.S. DATA SETS TO THAT.

EMPLOYEES OF THE ENTITY. » BUT YOUR USER PRIVACY,

BYTEDANCE IS PART OF YOUR CORPORATE.

BYTEDANCE IS THE TOP COMPANY.

YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER ENTITIES WITHIN THE GROUP.

SO, YOU JUST TESTIFIED THAT YOU FIREWALL THIS, DOES THAT SO

YOU’RE SAYING THE TIKTOK’S EXECUTIVES THAT OPERATE

INDEPENDENTLY WITH BYTEDANCE, DOES THAT STATEMENT NOT HOLD

FOR SHARING ACCESS TO DATA? » WELL, I WAS TALKING ABOUT

THAT ONE ENTITY THAT HAS MANY OF YOU HAVE RAISED SOME

CONCERNS, THAT’S THE ENTITY THAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.

THE ENTITY WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT’S INVESTMENT THAT IS

INTERNET LISTENING, FOR THE CHINESE BUSINESS.

LET ME ASK IN A DIFFERENT WAY, WHAT OTHER ENTITIES HAVE

ACCESS TO THE TIKTOK USER DATA? » AFTER PROJECT TEXAS, WE’RE

GONNA MOVE IT SO THAT ONLY TIKTOK USER DATA SECURITY HAS

CONTROL TO ACCESS OF THE DATA. » OKAY, SO, WE CAN BRING YOU

BACK EITHER AFTER PROJECT TEXAS HAS DONE, RIGHT NOW, WHAT OTHER

ENTITIES HAVE ACCESS TO TIKTOK USER DATA TODAY?

ONLY BY REQUIREMENT, CERTAIN EMPLOYEES MAY USE –

REQUIRE SOME ACCESS OF DATA TO HELP BUILD THE PRODUCT.

BUT FOR U.S., WE HAVE MOVED IT FROM PROJECT TEXAS, AND BY THE

END OF THIS YEAR IT WILL BE FIREWALL THE WAY.

THIS IS YOUR PRIVACY POLICY TODAY.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE TELLING US, WHAT’S POTENTIALLY

GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, I HAVE CONCERNS AGAIN ABOUT

GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT, PRIVATE ORGANIZATION, ALL OF THAT.

I’M JUST SAYING, THIS IS YOUR USER AGREEMENT TODAY.

SO, YOUR USER AGREEMENT SAYS THAT YOU SHARE ACCESS WITH YOUR

CORPORATE GROUP. YOU’RE TELLING ME WHAT’S GONNA

HAPPEN WHENEVER PROJECT TEXAS GETS DONE, I’M ASKING YOU TODAY,

WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE TIKTOK USER DATA?

OUR NEAR USER AGREEMENT, CONGRESSMAN, OUR PRIVACY POLICY

WE ALSO ADDED A LINK SO THAT USERS IN THE U.S. CAN BE

INFORMED OF OUR PROJECTS, THE LINK IS THERE.

THE LINK IS THERE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE TRYING

TO DO MOVING FORWARD, I HAVE MY OWN CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.

BUT WE’RE SITTING HERE TODAY, IN A HEARING, AND YOUR PRIVACY

POLICY IS DIFFERENT THAN YOUR TESTIMONY.

YOUR PRIVACY POLICY SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT YOU CAN

SHARE USE A DEBT IT WITHIN YOUR CORPORATE GROUP.

SO, YOU’RE SAYING EVEN THOUGH YOUR PRIVACY POLICY SAYS THAT

YOU’RE NOT DOING? » LIKE I SAID, I DON’T THINK

THERE’S ANY CONTRADICTION. LIKE I SAID, PROJECT TEXAS WHEN

IT’S DONE, WE FIREWALL OFF THE DATA, WE STILL HAVE SOME LEGACY

DATA IN VIRGINIA AND SINGAPORE THAT WE STARTED –

AND WILL BE DONE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, YOU WON’T SHARE IT.

DOES THAT MEAN YOU’RE SHARING IT TODAY?

I DON’T BELIEVE SO. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING.

WHEN YOU CHANGE THE TRUCK PRIVACY POLICY?

WHY HAVEN’T YOU UPDATED IT? » WE DID UPDATE, AND WE GIVE

USERS MORE INFORMATION ON PROJECT TEXAS.

WE DID UPDATE. » » GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK,

GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS. CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. GRIMSHAW.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. CHU FOR BRINGING

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS TOGETHER, APPRECIATE THAT.

I WANT TO GET RIGHT TO THE CRITICAL POINT OF CONCERNS,

TIKTOK IS ABLE TO COLLECT MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PERSONAL

DATA, WE ALL KNOW THAT. THAT MEANS IT COULD, IF IT

DESIRED, TO USE THE STATE TO INFLUENCE NARRATIVES AND TRENDS,

CREATE MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS, AND COURAGE SELF DESTRUCTIVE

BEHAVIOR, PURPOSELY ALLOW DRUG CARTELS TO COMMUNICATE FREELY

IN ORGANIZED HUMAN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING.

TO BE FAIR, ALL SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES COULD DO THAT.

HERE’S THE DIFFERENCE, IT IS ONLY TIKTOK THAT IS CONTROLLED

BY THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY, ALL THESE OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA

COMPANIES ARE NOT. MR. CHEW DO YOU AGREE THAT

TIKTOK IS CONTROLLED BY THE CCP? » NO.

I THOUGHT YOU’D SAY THAT. I DISAGREE.

AS YOU THOUGHT I MIGHT SAY. HERE’S WHY I DISAGREE, YOUR

PARENT COMPANY IS BYTEDANCE, RIGHT?

THAT’S CORRECT. » THAT IS CORRECT.

MANY OF THE WORKERS WHO WORK AT BYTEDANCE OR COMMUNIST PARTY

MEMBERS, RIGHT? » I WOULDN’T KNOW.

I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CHIEF EDITOR AT BYTEDANCE IS –

THE COMMUNIST PARTIES SECRETARY, CORRECT?

HE WORKS ON THE CHINESE BUSINESS, NOT ON TIKTOK.

RIGHT, HE WORKED FOR BYTEDANCE?

ON THE CHINESE BUSINESS. » THE PARENT COMPANY OF TIKTOK?

THE » CHINESE BUSINESS IS CALLED –

IT’S ALSO WITH BYTEDANCE, RIGHT?

BYTEDANCE OWNED A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES.

YOU ALL REPORT TO BYTEDANCE, THAT’S PART OF BYTEDANCE.

OKAY? DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER

EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FROM BYTEDANCE THAT ARE PART OF THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY? » LIKE I SAID, BYTEDANCE OWNS

CHINESE BUSINESSES, THEY OPERATE IN CHINA.

YOU » DON’T KNOW HOW MANY, BUT YOU KNOW HOW MANY MUST BE CARD

CARRYING MEMBERS OF THE CCP, RIGHT?

IN THE CHINESE BUSINESS, YET.

THE » CCP HOLDS A GOLDEN SHARE IN BYTEDANCE, THAT ALLOWS THE

CCP TO CONTROL ONE BOARD SEAT IN BYTEDANCE, THAT’S PUBLICLY

REPORTED? » THAT’S NOT CORRECT.

THEY ADMITTED TO IT. » ON OUR WEBSITE, WE’VE

UPDATED IT SO WE HAVE CAN GIVE PEOPLE MORE TRANSPARENT

INFORMATION ON THIS, THEY HAVE A SHARE IN THE SUBSIDIARY THAT

IS ONLY FOR THE CHINESE BUSINESS, AND NOTHING TO DO

WITH TIKTOK. IT IS FOR THE PURPOSES OF

CONTACT LICENSING IN CHINA. » THERE’S NOT INTERNAL CCP

COMMITTEE WHICH IS REGULAR THING THAT HAPPENED IN CHINA,

THEY HAVE A CCP COMMITTEE INTERNALLY INSIDE THE COMPANY?

I RUN TIKTOK, I CANNOT REPRESENT CHINESE BUSINESS.

I’LL TALK ABOUT BYTEDANCE. NO ARRANGEMENT IN BYTEDANCE?

HERE’S THE MAIN POINT OF CONCERN, CHINA’S 2017 NATIONAL

INTELLIGENCE LAW STATES VERY CLEARLY, QUOTE, ANY

ORGANIZATION OR CITIZEN SHALL SUPPORT THE CITIZEN COOPERATE

WITH STATE INTELLIGENCE WORKING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, AND

MAINTAIN THE SECRECY OF ALL KNOWLEDGE OF STATE INTELLIGENCE

WORK. IN OTHER WORDS, BYTEDANCE, AND

ALSO YOUR TIKTOK EMPLOYEES THAT LIVE IN CHINA, THEY MUST

COOPERATE WITH CHINESE INTELLIGENCE WHENEVER THEY ARE

CALLED UPON, AND IF THEY ARE CALLED UPON, THEY’RE BOUND TO

SECRECY, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE YOU.

SO MR. CHEW, IF THE CCP TELLS BYTEDANCE TO TURN ALL OVER DATA

THAT TIKTOK ESCALATED INSIDE THE U.S., EVEN WITHIN PROJECT

TEXAS, DO THEY HAVE TO DO SO ACCORDING TO CHINESE LAW?

CONGRESSMAN, FIRST, I’M SINGAPOREAN.

THAT’S FINE. THEIR EMPLOYEES OF YOURS IN

BYTEDANCE IN CHINA? » WE UNDERSTAND THIS CONCERN,

IN MY OPENING STATEMENT WE SAID, WE HEAR THOSE CONCERNS.

WE DID NOT TRY TO AVOID TRIVIALIZE THEM.

WE BUILT SOMETHING WHERE WE TAKE THE DATA AND PUT IT OUT OF

REACH. THIS IS WHAT WE DID.

WE PUT IT OUT OF REACH. » THEY OWN YOU.

WE PUT IT OUT OF REACH – » BYTEDANCE OWNS TIKTOK, IF

BYTEDANCE – IF THE CCP OWNS BYTEDANCE,

BECAUSE THE CCP OWNS EVERYBODY IN CHINA.

BY LAW, THEY CAN MAKE THEM DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, AND THEY

SAY THAT BY LAW, THEY CAN’T TELL ANYBODY ABOUT IT.

THEIR MAKE YOUR HEAD OVER THAT DATA, IS THAT CORRECT?

DID IT STORED HERE, IN AMERICAN SOIL, BY AN AMERICAN

COMPANY, BUT. » WE THOUGHT THAT, BUT LEAKED

AUDIO FROM 80 INTERNAL TIKTOK MEETINGS THAT U.S. USER DATA

HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY ACCESS FROM CHINA, EVEN HE SAYS IT HAS IT.

HERE’S THE OTHER THING, FALLING BACK ON MY COLLEAGUES LINE OF

QUESTIONING, IN YOUR OWN PRIVACY POLICY IT SAYS THE CAN

SHARE INFORMATION WITH YOUR SO-CALLED CORPORATE GROUP, IS

BYTEDANCE PART OF THAT CORPORATE GROUP?

IF YOU TALK ABOUT THE SHARED ENTITY WITH THE SHARE, LOOK AT

SHORT OF THE PREVIOUS – » IS BYTEDANCE PART OF THE

CORPORATE GROUP. » BIDEN IS A HOLDING COMPANY.

IT’S PART OF THE CORPORATE GROUP, YES.

SO, YOUR OWN PRIVACY POLICY AS YOU HAVE TO SHARE DATA WITH

BYTEDANCE. AND IF THE CCP SAYS, HEY

BYTEDANCE, YOU’RE GONNA DO IT WE SAY.

YOU CAN’T ON WHAT ABOUT. BECAUSE BY LAW, ACCORDING THAT

2017 NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE LAW, THEY HAVE TO DO IT.

THAT’S OUR CONCERN. MAYBE HAVEN’T DONE IT YET, BUT

MY POINT IS, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO. AND THAT’S WHERE CONCERNS COME

FROM, OVER 300 TIKTOK EMPLOYEES HAVE WORKED FOR CHINA STATE RUN

PROPAGANDA MEDIA, THAT’S JUST FROM LOOKING AT THE LINKEDIN

PROFILES. OKAY, MY LAST POINT IS THIS I

WANT TO SAY THAT ALL THE TEENAGERS OUT THERE IN THE

TIKTOK INFLATORS WHO THINK WE’RE JUST OLDEN AT OF TOUCH

AND OH NO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR

FAVORITE APP. YOU MAY NOT CARE THAT YOUR DATA

IS BEING ACCESSED NOW, BUT IT WILL BE ONE DAY WHEN YOU DO

CARE ABOUT IT. HERE’S THE REAL PROBLEM, WHEN

DATA COMES POWER, THEY CAN CHOOSE WHAT YOU SEE AND HOW YOU

SEE IT, THEY CAN MAKE YOU BELIEVE THINGS THAT ARE NOT

TRUE, THEY CAN ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENGAGE IN BEHAVIOR THAT WILL

DESTROY YOUR LIFE. EVEN IF IT IS NOT HAPPENING YET,

IT COULD IN THE FUTURE. THE LONG TERM GOAL OF THE

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY IS THE DEMISE OF THE AMERICAN POWER,

AND THAT STARTS WITH OUR YOUTH. AT ANY MOMENT, THEY CAN DEMAND

ALL OF TIKTOK’S DATA BE USED TO DESIGN AN A.I. ALGORITHM, WITH

THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING CHINESE INTERESTS IN DESTROYING

OUR SOCIETY FROM WITHIN. YOU ARE KNOW WHY THAT’S

DEMOCRAT, WHY DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICANS HAVE COME TOGETHER

ON THIS? THAT’S WHY WE ARE SO CONCERNED.

THANK YOU, AND I YIELD BACK. » GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.

I REMIND THE MEMBERS THEY HAVE TEN BUSINESS DAYS TO SUBMIT

QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD, I ASK OUR WITNESSES TO RESPOND TO THE

QUESTIONS PROMPTLY, PURSUANT TO COMMITTEE RULES, I ASK

UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO ENTER THE DOCUMENTS FROM THE STAFF LIST

INTO THE RECORD. WITHOUT OBJECTION?

ORDERED. MEMBERS SHOULD SUBMIT THEIR

QUESTIONS BY THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON APRIL 6TH, WITHOUT

OBJECTION, THE COMMITTEE IS ADJOURNED.