Senators press TikTok on whether app allowed US data to be stored, accessed by China

A bipartisan Senate duo sent a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, pressing the social media head to disclose whether the app allowed China to store and access data on American users.

“We write regarding recent reports that TikTok allowed private data about American users to be stored and accessed in China, despite repeated public assurances and Congressional testimony that TikTok data was kept in the United States,” Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote in their joint letter, according to a press release.

“We are disturbed by TikTok’s pattern of misleading or inaccurate responses regarding serious matters related to users’ safety and national security, and request that TikTok correct and explain its previous, incorrect claims,” the senators wrote.

The duo cited a recent Forbes report published last month that claimed the app stored American users’ most sensitive data — including their social security numbers and tax identification — in accounts that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has access to. 

Chew, who became TikTok’s CEO in 2021, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee members earlier this year and was questioned on lawmakers’ concerns about national security threats, data privacy, the spread of misinformation and the safety of minors. During the hearing, he maintained that the Chinese government did not have access to the data and touted efforts the company has taken to protect younger and vulnerable users.

“These reports directly contradict statements you and other TikTok representatives have made to the public and under oath before Congress about where TikTok stores U.S. user data and the ability of employees in China to access that information,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter, while also highlighting TikTok’s Head of Public Policy Michael Beckerman’s testimony before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security in October 2021.

The letter also argued that TikTok has repeatedly made “misleading and inaccurate representations” to U.S. residents about the security of private information, citing a June 2022 blog post where the company said it has stored its data in its own data centers in the U.S. and Singapore. 

“We are deeply troubled by TikTok’s recurring pattern of providing misleading, inaccurate, or false information to Congress and its users in the United States, including in response to us during oversight hearings and letters,” the lawmakers concluded in their letter, asking Chew to answer 14 questions on their inquiry by June 16. 

The letter comes as multiple states and Congress in recent months have implemented TikTok bans on government devices, citing national security concerns due to its Chinese owner ByteDance. 

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed legislation last month banning TikTok for the general public, the first state in the U.S. to do so.

In a statement to The Hill, a TikTok spokesperson said that the company is reviewing the senators’ letter, adding that it remains “confident in the accuracy of our testimony and responses to Congress.”

Updated: 2:42 p.m.