TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew: 3 issues to know

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified Thursday at a congressional listening to over considerations about consumer information collected by the favored video-sharing app and potential Chinese language spying.

Below his helm, TikTok reached 150 million customers within the U.S., nearly all of them teenagers and younger adults who’re drawn to the app’s easy interface and addictive algorithm that serves up quick movies on nearly any possible subject.

Lawmakers have stated they’re fearful about American information falling into the fingers of the Chinese language authorities and declare it threatens nationwide safety and consumer privateness and may very well be used to advertise pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation.

Chew tried to steer lawmakers to not pursue a ban on the app or drive Chinese language dad or mum firm ByteDance to surrender its possession stake, testifying that TikTok prioritizes the protection of younger customers. He says the corporate plans to retailer all U.S. consumer information on servers maintained and owned by the software program large Oracle.

This is a better take a look at Chew:

WHAT IS HIS BACKGROUND?

Chew, 40, is a local of Singapore, the place he lives along with his spouse, Vivian Kao, and their two youngsters. He graduated in 2006 from College Faculty London and labored for 2 years at Goldman Sachs earlier than transferring to the U.S. to pursue a grasp’s diploma at Harvard Enterprise College. Chew had a two-year internship with Fb.

After incomes his MBA, he grew to become a accomplice at enterprise capital agency DST World, the place he labored for 5 years and helped facilitate funding within the firm that grew to become ByteDance. He then labored for 5 years at Xiaomi, a Chinese language smartphone firm, earlier than being appointed TikTok CEO in 2021, changing Kevin Mayer, a former Disney govt. Chew studies to ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo.

WHAT’S HIS REPUTATION?

The U.S. public is aware of comparatively little about Chew in contrast with Silicon Valley social media giants reminiscent of Fb’s Mark Zuckerberg, stated Brooke Erin Duffy, who research social media platforms as an affiliate professor of communications at Cornell College.

“Chew has been within the background on public discourse till now, so he would not have the identical fame we might affiliate with the Silicon Valley set, particularly Zuckerberg,” Duffy stated.

Most People possible first heard of Chew when he launched a video this week talking on to TikTok’s U.S. customers, she stated, “so he would not have the identical fame as somebody we all know, and (we) haven’t got sense of who he’s.”

However Chew is well-respected inside the U.S. and China tech communities, and was thought-about match for TikTok due to his background in funding banking and his time at Fb and DST World, stated Dan Ives, managing director of New York-based Wedbush Securities.

“He gained plenty of respect simply by taking that top threat, in-the-hot seat position at TikTok,” Ives stated, including that the corporate possible thought he was the precise particular person to ease tensions with U.S. lawmakers.

HOW DID HE DO IN HIS TESTIMONY?

Chew’s choice to emphasise TikTok’s attain within the U.S. might need backfired, and “truly strengthened U.S. lawmakers’ argument that TikTok poses a risk to each nationwide safety and younger individuals,” stated Jasmine Enberg, a social media analyst at Insider Intelligence.

Enberg stated there was little Chew may say to persuade lawmakers that TikTok isn’t monitored or influenced not directly by the Chinese language authorities.

Ives stated Chew’s testimony was at all times going to be fraught, however his lack of concrete solutions about information entry and safety was “a catastrophe” and certain set the stage for a ban.

“It was an ideal storm and lawmakers had been prepared,” Ives stated.

However Shelly Palmer, a professor of superior media at Syracuse College who research social community enterprise fashions, stated Chew did the most effective he may given the grilling he acquired from lawmakers who “for my part weren’t truly listening” however as a substitute had been grandstanding.

“I do not suppose he has the flexibility, due to who he’s and what he does, to be satisfying to this viewers,” stated Palmer, including that he believed Chew’s solutions weren’t in contrast to these given by CEOs from U.S.-based social media firms who’ve been questioned up to now about privateness.

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Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Related Press author Barbara Ortutay in Oakland, California, contributed to this story.