FCC Commissioner says evidence shows TikTok puts Americans at risk
FCC official Brendan Carr defended a ban on TikTok saying that reports were clear the app put Americans at risk due to Chinese government influence.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr argued there was glaring evidence to support a nation-wide ban on TikTok and blasted the company for failing to convince lawmakers the app did not put Americans at risk.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled by both Democrats and Republicans on Thursday's House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on security concerns over the app.
While speaking about the hearing on Friday's "CBS Mornings," Carr defended the bipartisan call for a national ban. He cited reports where the TikTok admitted China used the social media app to access data of American users.
"Look, I think the evidence we have now is crystal clear. For years TikTok represented that very little data, if any, goes back to Beijing, and there was a blockbuster story over the summer that got internal communications that said, no, quote, ‘everything is seen in China," he began.
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FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the evidence pointed to China spying on American citizens through the TikTok app.
"There was a story that they were using the app TikTok to surreptitiously surveil the locations of specific Americans. They denied it. Later, internal emails came out that said, ‘No, we’re doing it,’…" he added.
"Then we have our recent midterm elections, the CCP state media set up TikTok accounts to target politicians here for divisive content. So I think we have a lot of evidence of the risk," he added.
Carr said the TikTok executive had "completely failed" at reassuring lawmakers there was nothing to worry about.
"The most important thing that the TikTok CEO had to do yesterday was build some level of trust and credibility with Congress and in that effort I think he completely failed," the FCC commissioner said.
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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before a congressional panel on Thursday regarding security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned app. (Fox News )
During one viral moment, Chew didn't directly answer when he was asked if ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, had "spied on American citizens."
"I don't think that spying is the right way to describe it," he responded.
At another point in the hearing, Chew again avoided answering a question about Chinese government spying through the app.
After Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, pressed the CEO to reveal whether employees at ByteDance had access to Americans' user data, Chew told Latta it was a "complex topic."
The FCC official described the hearing as a train wreck for TikTok.
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"Look, I’ve testified before the same committee many times, sat in the same chair. I’ve never seen anything like that. Really the day could not have gone any worse for TikTok," he told CBS News.
Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
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