TikTok is intensifying its public relations efforts to prevent a potential nationwide ban by the Biden administration, enlisting the support of unconventional advocates: online influencers.
Numerous TikTok creators, some with millions of followers, arrived on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby on behalf of the platform. Their visit comes just before the company’s CEO is set to address concerns over user data potentially being accessed by the Chinese government.
On Thursday, Shou Zi Chew will inform Congress that TikTok, created by Chinese entrepreneurs, is dedicated to user safety, data protection, security, and remaining independent from the Chinese government’s influence. He will also respond to questions from U.S. lawmakers concerned about the platform’s impact on young users.
TikTok’s troubles stem from a Chinese national intelligence law that could force Chinese companies to hand over data to the government for federal security purposes. There are also worries that Beijing may use the platform to spread pro-China narratives or misinformation.
To address these concerns, TikTok has outlined a $1.5 billion plan, called Project Texas, to route all U.S. data to domestic servers owned and maintained by Oracle. However, critics argue that this plan needs to be revised. The Biden administration reportedly demands the company’s Chinese owners sell their stakes or face a nationwide ban.
As tensions surrounding TikTok increase on Capitol Hill, some progressive lawmakers have opposed banning the platform. They argue that if Congress wants an “honest” discussion about data collection, it should focus on a national privacy law targeting all social media companies, not just TikTok.
In response to the political pressure, TikTok has launched advertising campaigns in airports and metro stations around the nation’s Capitol, promising to secure user data and privacy and create a safe platform for young users. According to Open Secrets, a nonprofit tracking lobbying spending, the company spent over $5.3 million on lobbying efforts last year.
On Thursday, Chew will reiterate the company’s commitment to user data security and emphasize that TikTok’s efforts exceed its competitors. He will refute claims that TikTok could become a tool of China’s ruling Communist Party because its parent company, ByteDance, was founded in Beijing.
Chew asserts that TikTok has never shared or received a request to share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and would not comply if such a request were made. However, whether these assurances will assuage concerns remains uncertain. TikTok faces challenges in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with several governments banning the app for official business use. Some countries, including India, Afghanistan, and Indonesia, have imposed nationwide bans.
Chew argues that TikTok’s data security project is the appropriate solution, not a ban or a sale of the company. The firm has begun deleting U.S. users’ historically protected data from non-Oracle servers, with the process set to be completed later this year. Chew contends that under this arrangement, the Chinese government would have no access to the data.
TikTok is working diligently to prevent a potential nationwide ban in the United States by enlisting online influencers to lobby on its behalf. The company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, will address Congress to reassure lawmakers of TikTok’s commitment to user safety, data protection, and independence from Chinese government influence. The platform has proposed a $1.5 billion plan called Project Texas, which routes all U.S. data to domestic servers owned and maintained by Oracle. However, concerns over data security and potential misinformation campaigns persist, and whether these measures will be enough to assuage lawmakers remains uncertain.
