U.S. Senate Hearing on SnapChat TikTok and YouTube Today made it clear that TikTok did not want straight answers to questions about China. U.S. Senators put the Big Tech platform on the mat.
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) held a hearing, “Protecting Kids Online: Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube,” on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. At the hearing, representatives of SnapChat (YouTube), and TikTok spoke. TikTok and SnapChat’s parent company Snap had never previously testified before the legislative body, according to The Washington PostYou can find it here. TikTok had previously declined requests from Senator Josh Hawley (R.MO) for him to testify in the Senate hearings, both 2019 and 2020.
TikTok’s Head of Public Policy, Americas for TikTok Michael Beckerman attended the hearing. Ted Cruz (R.TX), Dan Sullivan (R.AK) and Blackburn (R.TX) criticized TikTok’s Chinese ties. Cruz even indicated that TikTok is “participating in Chinese propaganda and espionage.” Beckerman appeared to return evasive answers to the senators.
Senator Cruz noted that TikTok’s privacy policy says it may share all data with its “corporate group” and asked if TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is part of TikTok’s “corporate group.” After two attempts to return an evasive answer, Beckerman finally returned an affirmative response. Cruz stated that Beijing ByteDance Technology had a CCP official who used to be a propaganda officer. Cruz asked Beckerman multiple times if Beijing ByteDance Technology were part of TikTok’s corporate group. Beckerman declined to give an answer. “Were you instructed not to answer the question?” Cruz asked. Eventually, Cruz concluded, “[Y]ou’re refusing to answer the question. That does not give this committee any confidence, ah, that TikTok is doing anything other than participating in Chinese propaganda and espionage on American children.”
Blackburn pressed Beckerman hard on TikTok’s Chinese ties too. “I’ve made no secret of my concerns that TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-owned ByteDance, is paving the way for the Chinese government to gain unfettered access to our children and teens,” she said. Blackburn later referenced reports that ByteDance was recently bought by the CCP. She noted that TikTok’s own policy states that the company may disclose data per government inquiry. Blackburn asked Blackburn how TikTok might refuse data to CCP in the event that it was requested. Beckerman said that TikTok was not owned by the CCP. Beckerman stated that U.S. TikTok data are stored in America as well as Singapore. Blackburn reminded Beckerman then that Singapore’s data services were controlled by Chinese Alibaba until recently.
Senator Sullivan was present at the TikTok hard-hitting questions. He complained of what he called “kowtow capitalism,” which he said was when Big Tech companies censor Americans to please China. Sullivan said of TikTok, “I think that you guys are exhibit A of kowtow capitalism.” Sullivan cited reports that content objectionable to the CCP, such as Tiananmen Square footage, had been censored on TikTok. Sullivan wanted to know if TikTok users could now upload content that was critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping, or support persecuted Uyghurs and Tibetan independence. Beckerman said that such content was indeed allowed, but added the vague proviso, if it’s “not mis- and disinformation.”
Conservatives under attackYour representatives should be contacted to demand transparency and a mirroring of the First Amendment by Big Tech. Contact us at Media Research Center if you feel your voice has been blocked. Use the contact formHelp us to hold Big Tech responsible.
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