TikTok committed to keeping app safe, says CEO

WASHINGTON: A day after being grilled by United States lawmakers in Congress, TikTok chief executive Chew Shou Zi shared his thoughts about the hearing on the app’s official social media account.

In a video lasting more than a minute posted on Friday, the 40-year-old Singaporean reiterated that it was the company’s “responsibility to protect more than 150 million Americans who love and use” the popular short video-sharing app.

During Thursday’s hearing, lawmakers questioned Chew about potential Chinese influence over the platform and said its short videos were damaging children’s mental health, reflecting bipartisan concerns about the app’s power over Americans.

His testimony, which lasted over four hours, attempted to assuage US worries over TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance. In his video, which has attracted over 20 million views so far, Chew reiterated that TikTok would continue to keep safety, especially for teenagers, a top priority. He also said that the company would continue to protect users’ data from unauthorised foreign access.