US senators probe TikTok hiring of executives from Chinese parent ByteDance
- The move calls into question the independence of the app’s operations and the security of US user information, lawmakers say in a letter to CEO Shou Zi Chew
- TikTok, which is used by over 150 million Americans, has faced calls for a nationwide ban over concerns of possible Chinese government influence
Two US senators said they were investigating short video sharing app TikTok’s reported decision recently to hire several high-level executives from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Senators Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, and Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, said in a letter on Tuesday to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew that the personnel moves further call “into question the independence of TikTok’s operations and the security of its US users’ information”.
TikTok, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, is used by more than 150 million Americans and has faced calls from US lawmakers for a nationwide ban over concerns about possible Chinese government influence.
“The personnel changes give the impression that TikTok is attempting to preserve ByteDance’s influence over TikTok while avoiding suspicion,” the senators wrote, asking for a detailed account of security protocols being imposed on ByteDance employees that transfer from China to the US.
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