Many know TikTok as a fun app where you can waste time viewing videos on all sorts of content. TikTok is a counterpart to the Chinese platform Douyin and was first launched in September 2017.
| TikTok
Since its creation, TikTok has been the source of national security concerns from various agencies due to fears of user data being collected by the Chinese government, spreading misinformation, and mental health concerns.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app multiple times. However, investigations found no evidence of the app obtaining user information in 2020.
Fears behind the app have often been based on anti-Asian racism, as many domestic apps have been found to buy and sell user data and contain similar content to that found on TikTok.
On January 31, the U.S. Senate questioned CEOs from TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Meta (formerly Facebook), and other popular social media about child safety on the platforms.
Clips from the session show Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino speaking on the subject and even addressing parents in the room.
Linda Yaccarino: X suspended 12.4 million accounts in 2023 for violating CSE policies pic.twitter.com/SJndCzaQWi
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 31, 2024
Sen. Josh Hawley makes Mark Zuckerberg apologize to the families who’ve been affected by META. pic.twitter.com/KDkuci0Vkm
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 31, 2024
However, during the session portion where TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew fielded questions, the topic strayed from child safety back to previous security-related questions.
U.S. Senator Tom Cotton spends several minutes questioning Shou Zi Chew about his origins and relations to China, despite the CEO saying he is Singaporean multiple times.
Cotton: Have you ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party?
Chew: Senator, I’m Singaporean. No.
Cotton: Have you ever been associated or affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party?
Chew: No, senator. Again, I’m Singaporean.
A clip of this moment was shared on X, gaining over 3.4 million views in just a few hours.
Sen. Tom Cotton: “Have you ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party?”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew: “Senator, I’m Singaporean. No.”
Cotton: “Have you ever been associated or affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party?”
Chew: “No, senator. Again, I’m Singaporean.” pic.twitter.com/1pZaQ64Wxz
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 31, 2024
Netizens commented on the outright racism found in Senator Cotton’s line of questioning, wondering why the important topic of child safety was not at the forefront.
I felt Shou Zi Chew’s response in every bit of my being. Berating a PoC bc you BELIEVE they are from a certain “other” place in the world is peak yt colonizer behavior.
Make no mistake Tom Cotton has no idea where Singapore is. https://t.co/d8MAVkI8n8
— Axel Folio, PhD, Banana in tailpipe detector (@ISASaxonists) January 31, 2024
holy shit the us is fucked if this is who we have in the senate https://t.co/1jQV1dH0ma
— ethn (@ethnlmao) January 31, 2024
So glad that time and time again, we get to see that America is run by morons. https://t.co/BmqWRCQRRx
— Moronimus Grime (@officialbusseat) January 31, 2024
