U.S. lawmakers see TikTok as China's tool, even as it distances itself from Beijing

If some U.S. lawmakers have their way, the United States and China could end up with something in common: TikTok might not be available in either country. "While the U.S. and other Western countries have imposed sanctions or restrictions on these companies, China itself has moved to favour state-owned enterprises in recent years, leaving little room for Chinese tech and private businesses to operate.” Alex Capri, senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore and research fellow at Hinrich Foundation, agreed that companies like TikTok with Chinese roots are “really stuck in two polar extremes" between the heavy-handed communist party and the deeply suspicious West. That explains the oft-repeated claim by Rep. Mike Gallagher, chair of the House Select Committee on China's communist party, that “there's no such thing as a private company in China.” The bill, as approved by the House, seeks to remove applications from app stores or web hosting services in the U.S. unless the application severs its ties to companies — such as ByteDance — that are subject to the control from foreign adversaries, like China. “This is my message to TikTok: Break up with the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to your American users,” said Gallagher, the bill's sponsor. Chew, in another congressional hearing last year, told Congress that “we do not remove or promote content on behalf of the Chinese government.” In a recent interview with Wired magazine, Chew acknowledged that the company's Chinese origins have given TikTok a “bigger trust deficit than most other companies.” “Maybe our trust starting line is behind other businesses, but I also think that there are very serious approaches that we’ve taken to try and earn that trust and to close that gap,” Chew said, citing efforts by TikTok to protect U.S. user data, be transparent and “not be manipulated by any government."