TikTok CEO agrees to appear before Congress

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will appear before Congress, according to The Wall Street Journal. The app's executive was subpoenaed following pressure from Republican lawmakers, who question the extent of the Chinese government's involvement in the company's operations.

Chew has been subpoenaed to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23, a committee spokesman told WSJ. It would be the first time a CEO of the Chinese social network has appeared before members of the House of Representatives. According to the same source, Chew voluntarily agreed to attend and will be the only witness at that day's hearing.

The dangers of TikTok

The subpoena comes amid increasing concern among lawmakers and governors about potential dangers of the well-known app. In addition, more and more institutions and states are prohibiting its use on official networks and devices. The main reasons for this are suspicions of U.S. user data falling into the hands of China and fears that the platform is being used to spread communist propaganda.

In a statement, the committee's Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers justified the subpoena on the grounds that "TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data. Americans deserve to know how these actions impact their privacy and data security, as well as what actions TikTok is taking to keep our kids safe from online and offline harms."