US senators examine TikTok hiring of ByteDance executives. On Tuesday, two U.S. senators said they were looking into rumors that the short-form video-sharing app TikTok had recently decided to employ some high-level executives from its Chinese parent firm, ByteDance.
In a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn stated that the new hires “call into question the independence of TikTok’s operations and the security of its U.S. users’ information.”
The senators requested a thorough explanation of the security measures being used for ByteDance workers who relocate to the United States from China, writing that “the personnel changes give the impression that TikTok is trying to preserve ByteDance’s influence over TikTok while avoiding suspicion.”
TikTok stated that the company was happy to have the opportunity to inform senators of its recruiting procedures. Throughout their careers, workers frequently work on several products or regions in huge, international organizations, according to a spokeswoman.
More than 150 million Americans use TikTok, and American legislators have called for a statewide ban due to worries about potential Chinese government influence.
Congress has delayed its attempts to provide the Biden administration new authority to outlaw TikTok. Senator Maria Cantwell has been working with the White House and other senators on a revised measure to address concerns about TikTok and other foreign-owned applications.
Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, wants to force a vote on the matter later this year. In May, he requested unanimous agreement to pass legislation banning TikTok.
He told Reuters last month that “we need to revisit it and we need to outlaw it.” “(TikTok) has hired a bazillion lobbyists, who are always in the hallways and are able to halt progress.”
A series of court rulings prevented then-President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict new TikTok downloads and those of WeChat, another Tencent (0700. HK) subsidiary controlled by the Chinese government, in 2020. A prohibition by the state of Montana that will go into effect on January 1 is being resisted by TikTok. On October 12, a court has set a hearing date for TikTok’s complaint.
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