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On March 23, Washington Post reporters Libby Casey, Geoffrey A. Fowler, James Hohmann and Taylor Lorenz talked about the future of TikTok and if a ban is on the horizon. (Video: The Washington Post)

House panel grilled TikTok CEO for 5 hours about app’s ties to China

Updated March 23, 2023 at 4:49 p.m. EDT|Published March 23, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
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In TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s first appearance before Congress, he struggled to address lawmakers’ worries that the extraordinarily popular video app represents a dangerous national security threat because it is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance.

To date, lawmakers have offered no evidence of TikTok harming U.S. national security interests.  
Key updates

Here’s what to know:

  • The Biden administration is pushing a plan that would require TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the company. But the administration’s strategy could run into a legal and constitutional minefield. The Chinese government said it would “strongly oppose” any forced sale of the company, effectively blocking this strategy.
  • Chew has become the face of TikTok in Washington, where he’s been on a charm offensive to overcome what he calls a “trust deficit” among American lawmakers.
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The Biden administration is pushing a plan that would require TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the company. But the administration’s strategy could run into a legal and constitutional minefield. The Chinese government said it would “strongly oppose” any forced sale of the company, effectively blocking this strategy.
Chew has become the face of TikTok in Washington, where he’s been on a charm offensive to overcome what he calls a “trust deficit” among American lawmakers.

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