U.S. users defend TikTok, mock lawmakers' hysteria as company's CEO grilled during marathon hearing

On Tuesday, some 30 TikTok users held a rally outside the U.S. Capitol, demanding that the U.S. government continue to allow the use of TikTok by the American public, because their art creations, education, expression of views, and so much more by which they make a living depends on and thrives alongside the platform. They later met lawmakers and held a news conference with Jamaal Bowman, a Democratic congressman representing New York.

* Bowman said instead of a "dishonest conversation" urging a ban on TikTok, what lawmakers really ought to do is having a "comprehensive conversation" about broader legislative efforts to protect online data, so that social media users' safety and security is guaranteed.

* "You can ban TikTok," he said, but that wouldn't at all prevent "data brokers" from selling social media user data without the knowledge and consent of the users.

U.S. lawmakers early this week enacted a heinous political stunt to portray TikTok, a video-sharing social networking company, as a national security threat.

The nearly six-hour congressional grilling of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew left one wondering what the point of the hearing was other than to expose the incompetence of some congressional members.

Despite the congressional grilling, TikTok received unwavering support from its myriad U.S. users, who defended TikTok's innocence, expressed their support and mocked the lawmakers' hysteria and ignorance at the hearing.

This photo taken on Jan. 19, 2023 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

While the committee dismissed Chew's explanation of the universal lack of protection of data privacy across the U.S. tech industry, The Washington Post found Chew's point not only valid, but also worth those uproarious lawmakers' introspection.

"At a hearing in which TikTok was often portrayed as a singular, untenable threat to Americans' online privacy, it would have been easy to forget that the country's online privacy problems run far deeper than any single app. And the people most responsible for failing to safeguard Americans' data, arguably, are American lawmakers," The Post said.

"But the compromises required to pass big legislation can be politically costly, while railing against TikTok costs nothing," the report said.

Public support

TikTok users across the United States didn't buy their congressional representatives' browbeating of their beloved app. Following the hearing, one content creator posting on TikTok by the handle of "@notnotnotrekcut_" described the hearing as "awful" and a "hot garbage."

He said in another video that since he has learned so much from TikTok, ranging from health tips to wealth management skills, he's not going back to other social media platforms he once used. "I'm on TikTok's side through and through!"

Beneath the videos posted by Chew, whose account's user name goes as "@shou.time," there are countless comments from TikTok users in support of the CEO and the app. One comment read: "Regardless of the outcome, thank you for creating such a platform for the world. The interconnectedness you gave us will not be forgotten."

Another message under a separate video by Chew said, "I apologize for USA congress. You are amazing."

On Tuesday, some 30 TikTok users held a rally outside the U.S. Capitol, demanding that the U.S. government continue to allow the use of TikTok by the American public, because their art creations, education, expression of views, and so much more by which they make a living depends on and thrives alongside the platform. They later met lawmakers and held a news conference with Jamaal Bowman, Democratic congressman representing New York.

"Why the hysteria and the panic and the targeting of TikTok?" Bowman asked behind a podium adorned with a "Keep TikTok" sign. "Let's not marginalize and target TikTok," he said, before noting that the national security risks TikTok was accused of posing are shared by famous American platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter.

Bowman said instead of a "dishonest conversation" urging a ban on TikTok, what lawmakers really ought to do is having a "comprehensive conversation" about broader legislative efforts to protect online data, so that social media users' safety and security is guaranteed.

"You can ban TikTok," he said, but that wouldn't at all prevent "data brokers" from selling social media user data without the knowledge and consent of the users.

This photo taken on Aug. 21, 2020 shows a logo of TikTok's Los Angeles Office in Culver City, Los Angeles County, the United States. (Xinhua)

Asked at a regular press briefing Friday to comment on Chew's testimony, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: "The U.S. government has provided no evidence or proof that TikTok threatens U.S. national security, yet it has repeatedly suppressed and attacked the company based on the presumption of guilt."

"The United States should earnestly respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop suppressing foreign companies and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies operating in the country."

Experts argued that if the Joe Biden administration moved to ban TikTok nationwide, such an executive order would almost certainly be challenged by those opposing it, citing the measure's violation of U.S. citizen's First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

There was a recent precedent: a TikTok ban issued by then-President Donald Trump in 2020 was met with multiple lawsuits and ultimately blocked by a U.S. federal judge, who ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that the ban relied on was inapplicable in the case, because the ban will effectively restrict the free flow of information.

"The law says whatever Biden would do can't impede the flow of information," William Reinsch of the Center of Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, was quoted by the Post as saying. Reinsch is also a former U.S. Commerce Department official.

Citing a person with knowledge, the Post reported that Biden administration officials do not think they have the legal authority to ban TikTok without an act of Congress.

(Video reporters: Hu Yousong and Liu Yutian; video editors: Liu Yutian, Li Qin, Zhu Jianhui and Linlin)