TikTok is still storing Americans’ data on overseas servers, potentially placing it at risk of being accessed and exploited by China’s communist regime. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified on the matter during a March 23 hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “Today, there is still some data that we need to delete [from overseas servers],” Chew said, as reported by The Epoch Times. “I believe we will be able to get it done this year.” The issue of TikTok’s data practices largely stems from concern about its links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through parent company ByteDance, a Beijing-based tech giant. “CCP laws require Chinese companies like ByteDance to spy on their behalf,” said Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers. “That means any Chinese company must grant the CCP access and manipulation capabilities as a design feature. TikTok surveils us all and the Chinese Communist Party is able to use this as a tool to manipulate America as a whole. We do not trust TikTok will ever embrace American values.”
