*OnTuesday,some30TikTokusersheldarallyoutsidetheU.S.Capitol,demandingthattheU.S.governmentcontinuetoallowtheuseofTikTokbytheAmericanpublic,becausetheirartcreations,education,expressionofviews,andsomuchmorebywhichtheymakealivingdependsonandthrivesalongsidetheplatform.TheylatermetlawmakersandheldanewsconferencewithJamaalBowman,DemocraticcongressmanrepresentingNewYork.*Bowmansaidinsteadofa"dishonestconversation"urgingabanonTikTok,whatlawmakersreallyoughttodoishavinga"comprehensiveconversation"aboutbroaderlegislativeeffortstoprotectonlinedata,sothatsocialmediausers"safetyandsecurityisguaranteed.*"YoucanbanTikTok,"hesaid,butthatwouldn"tatallprevent"databrokers"fromsellingsocialmediauserdatawithouttheknowledgeandconsentoftheusers.

byXinhuawritersDengXianlai,XuYuan

WASHINGTON,March26(Xinhua)--U.S.lawmakersearlythisweekenactedaheinouspoliticalstunttoportrayTikTok,avideo-sharingsocialnetworkingcompany,asanationalsecuritythreat.

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Thenearlysix-hourcongressionalgrillingofTikTokCEOShouZiChewleftonewonderingwhatthepointofthehearingwasotherthantoexposetheincompetenceofsomecongressionalmembers.

Despitethecongressionalgrilling,TikTokreceivedunwaveringsupportfromitsmyriadU.S.users,whodefendedTikTok"sinnocence,expressedtheirsupportandmockedthelawmakers"hysteriaandignoranceatthehearing.

Lastingfornearlysixhours,Thursday"shearingbytheHouseCommitteeonEnergyandCommercecenteredondataprivacyandchildprotection,aboutwhichChewpresentedthecommittee"sbipartisanmemberswithstepsTikTokhasbeentakingtoaddresstheassociatedrisksthatareofconcern.

Throughoutthehearing,thelawmakersneithercaredaboutnorbelievedintheexplanationbyChew.Instead,theywereblindlyfocusedonhammeringhomethemessagethatTikTokisathreattodataprivacyof150millionAmericanusersandnationalsecurity.

Lackingevidence,theonlyexcusebywhichthelawmakerssingledoutTikTokasthemust-be-bannedappisthatitsparentcompany,ByteDance,operatesinChina.IgnoringthatByteDanceisaprivatebusiness,thelawmakersremainfixedontheuntenablelogicthatcompaniesoperatinginChinamustheeddirectivesfromtheChinesegovernment.

Thecongressmencouldn"ttolerateanyfurtherexplanationfromChewbeyond"yes"or"no"totheirfishyquestions.PerhapstheyfearedthatgivingChewoneopportunitytogetintodetailswouldundercutthemessagetheytriedtoconveytothepublic,andexposetheirhypocrisytothosewatchingfromeverycorneroftheworld.

Onestarkexamplewaswhenthecommittee"schair,RepublicanCongresswomanCathyRogersrepresentingthestateofWashington,goadedChewtoadmitthatByteDanceandTikTokusedcertaintacticsto"spy"onAmericans.

Inhisresponse,ChewchallengedRogers"characterizationofspying,buthewasimmediatelyinterruptedbyRogers,whoalmostlosthertemperwhensaying"Iwanttohearyousaywith100percentcertainty"thatTikTokwillnotengageinsurveillanceactivitiesagainstAmericans.

DenyingChewthechancetomakefurtherstatementsbecauseotherwiseshewouldn"thaveenoughtimetomakeherown,whichshewaskeentospread,RogersrushedtoconcludethatTikTokisa"weapon"againstAmericans.

SimilarinterruptionshappenednumeroustimesduringthesubsequentroundsofexchangesbetweenChewandothercommitteemembers.ThecommitteeaskedquestionstowhichtheyalreadyhadanswersnotbecausetheyarecuriousabouthowTikTokwouldhandletheissuesofconcern.TheysimplywantedChewtoconcurwiththeirjudgments--mostofwhich,unfortunately,aresubjectiveandfanciful.

TheU.S.governmenthasforcedTikToktosplitofffromByteDanceandbeacquiredbyanAmericancompany,otherwiseitwouldfaceanationwideban.

Askedatthehearingwhetherhiscompanywouldcomplywiththedivestmentrequirement,Chewtoldthelawmakersthatownershipwasnottheissue."Withalotofrespect:Americansocialcompaniesdon"thaveagreatrecordwithprivacyanddatasecurity.Imean,lookatFacebookandCambridgeAnalytica,"hesaid,referringtotherevelationin2018thatFacebook"suserdatahaslongbeensecretlygatheredbyaBritishpoliticalconsultingfirm.

Thatscandalsimilarlytriggeredintensecongressionalinvestigation,involvingtestimonybyFacebookCEOMarkZuckerbergbeforeboththeHouseandtheSenate.

WhilethecommitteedismissedChew"sexplanationoftheuniversallackofprotectionofdataprivacyacrosstheU.S.techindustry,TheWashingtonPostfoundChew"spointnotonlyvalid,butalsoworththoseuproariouslawmakers"introspection.

"AtahearinginwhichTikTokwasoftenportrayedasasingular,untenablethreattoAmericans"onlineprivacy,itwouldhavebeeneasytoforgetthatthecountry"sonlineprivacyproblemsrunfardeeperthananysingleapp.AndthepeoplemostresponsibleforfailingtosafeguardAmericans"data,arguably,areAmericanlawmakers,"ThePostsaid.

"Butthecompromisesrequiredtopassbiglegislationcanbepoliticallycostly,whilerailingagainstTikTokcostsnothing,"thereportsaid.

PUBLICSUPPORT

TikTokusersacrosstheUnitedStatesdidn"tbuytheircongressionalrepresentatives"browbeatingoftheirbelovedapp.Followingthehearing,onecontentcreatorpostingonTikTokbythehandleof"@notnotnotrekcut_"describedthehearingas"awful"anda"hotgarbage."

HesaidinanothervideothatsincehehaslearnedsomuchfromTikTok,rangingfromhealthtipstowealthmanagementskills,he"snotgoingbacktoothersocialmediaplatformsheonceused."I"monTikTok"ssidethroughandthrough!"

BeneaththevideospostedbyChew,whoseaccount"susernamegoesas"@shou.time,"therearecountlesscommentsfromTikTokusersinsupportoftheCEOandtheapp.Onecommentread:"Regardlessoftheoutcome,thankyouforcreatingsuchaplatformfortheworld.Theinterconnectednessyougaveuswillnotbeforgotten."

AnothermessageunderaseparatevideobyChewsaid,"IapologizeforUSAcongress.Youareamazing."

OnTuesday,some30TikTokusersheldarallyoutsidetheU.S.Capitol,demandingthattheU.S.governmentcontinuetoallowtheuseofTikTokbytheAmericanpublic,becausetheirartcreations,education,expressionofviews,andsomuchmorebywhichtheymakealivingdependsonandthrivesalongsidetheplatform.TheylatermetlawmakersandheldanewsconferencewithJamaalBowman,DemocraticcongressmanrepresentingNewYork.

"WhythehysteriaandthepanicandthetargetingofTikTok?"Bowmanaskedbehindapodiumadornedwitha"KeepTikTok"sign."Let"snotmarginalizeandtargetTikTok,"hesaid,beforenotingthatthenationalsecurityrisksTikTokwasaccusedofposingaresharedbyfamousAmericanplatforms,includingFacebook,Instagram,YoutubeandTwitter.

Bowmansaidinsteadofa"dishonestconversation"urgingabanonTikTok,whatlawmakersreallyoughttodoishavinga"comprehensiveconversation"aboutbroaderlegislativeeffortstoprotectonlinedata,sothatsocialmediausers"safetyandsecurityisguaranteed.

"YoucanbanTikTok,"hesaid,butthatwouldn"tatallprevent"databrokers"fromsellingsocialmediauserdatawithouttheknowledgeandconsentoftheusers.

AskedataregularpressbriefingFridaytocommentonChew"stestimony,ChineseForeignMinistryspokespersonMaoNingsaid:"TheU.S.governmenthasprovidednoevidenceorproofthatTikTokthreatensU.S.nationalsecurity,yetithasrepeatedlysuppressedandattackedthecompanybasedonthepresumptionofguilt."

"TheUnitedStatesshouldearnestlyrespecttheprinciplesofmarketeconomyandfaircompetition,stopsuppressingforeigncompaniesandprovideanopen,fair,justandnon-discriminatoryenvironmentforforeigncompaniesoperatinginthecountry."

ExpertsarguedthatiftheJoeBidenadministrationmovedtobanTikToknationwide,suchanexecutiveorderwouldalmostcertainlybechallengedbythoseopposingit,citingthemeasure"sviolationofU.S.citizen"sFirstAmendmentrighttofreedomofspeech.

Therewasarecentprecedent:aTikTokbanissuedbythen-PresidentDonaldTrumpin2020wasmetwithmultiplelawsuitsandultimatelyblockedbyaU.S.federaljudge,whoruledthattheInternationalEmergencyEconomicPowersActthatthebanreliedonwasinapplicableinthecase,becausethebanwilleffectivelyrestrictthefreeflowofinformation.

"ThelawsayswhateverBidenwoulddocan"timpedetheflowofinformation,"WilliamReinschoftheCenterofStrategicandInternationalStudies,aWashington-basedthinktank,wasquotedbythePostassaying.ReinschisalsoaformerU.S.CommerceDepartmentofficial.

Citingapersonwithknowledge,thePostreportedthatBidenadministrationofficialsdonotthinktheyhavethelegalauthoritytobanTikTokwithoutanactofCongress.

(Videoreporters:HuYousongandLiuYutian;videoeditors:LiuYutian,LiQin,ZhuJianhuiandLinlin)