Increasing number of U.S. lawmakers calling for a ban on the popular app due to national security concerns, Chew highlighted that TikTok currently has over 150 million active monthly users in the U.S. – almost half of the country’s population. This is up from the 100 million users the app claimed in 2020.
In a video shared on TikTok on Tuesday, Chew expressed his concerns about the possibility of a ban and urged users to share their thoughts with lawmakers. In the background of the video, the U.S. Capitol could be seen. Chew stated that some politicians have already started discussing banning the app, which could have a significant impact on all 150 million users.
Chew requested that TikTok users leave comments about what they love about the app, to help lawmakers understand the value it brings. He also noted that five million U.S. businesses currently use TikTok as a way to connect with customers. The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain, but Chew’s message highlights the importance of the app to its millions of users and the businesses that rely on it.
Critics of TikTok have expressed concerns about the app’s ownership by the Chinese tech company ByteDance and the possibility that user data could be shared with the Chinese government. However, TikTok has rejected these allegations of spying.
To address these concerns, TikTok announced on Tuesday that it had updated its community use guidelines and provided more details about its plans to secure the data of its U.S. users. As part of this effort, the company began deleting protected user data from data centers in Virginia and Singapore earlier this month after moving new U.S. data to the Oracle Cloud last year.
Last week, TikTok revealed that the Biden administration had demanded that its Chinese owners divest their stake in the app or face a potential ban in the U.S. Despite having invested more than $1.5 billion in data security, TikTok believes that divestment is not the solution to the issue of national security concerns.
To further address these concerns, the CEO of TikTok is set to appear in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. The company’s efforts to secure user data and allay concerns about Chinese ownership continue as the app faces scrutiny in the U.S.
I’ve been skeptics of a TikTok ban but I know it’s serious when they’re putting the CEO out there rattling of key stats:
150M users in US
5M American businesses
7K employeees in UShttps://t.co/HSB2oFAdLz— bradorbradley.lens (@brad_or_bradley) March 21, 2023
