Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) slammed TikTok CEO Shou Chew throughout a Home Committee on Power and Commerce listening to on Thursday over the demise of a 10-year-old woman after she tried the “blackout” problem that was trending on the China-owned app.
“Last year, a federal judge in Pennsylvania found that Section 230 protected TikTok from being held responsible for the death of a 10-year-old girl who participated in a blackout challenge, also known as the choking challenge. TikTok actually put this video on her feed,” Latta stated.
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 14: TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew is interviewed at places of work the corporate makes use of on Tuesday February 14, 2023 in Washington, DC.(Picture by Matt McClain/The Washington Publish by way of Getty Photographs)
“Unfortunately, this is one of the many devastating examples of children losing their lives because of content prompted by TikTok,” the congressman added. “Section 230 was never intended to shield companies like yours from amplifying dangerous and life-threatening content to children.”
Latta then requested Chew if he considers this “to be a good faith moderation?” to which the TikTok CEO responded by saying, “Well, Congressman, Section 230 is a very complex issue.”
“Do you believe TikTok deserves this liability protection under Section 230?” the congressman reiterated.
Chew responded by saying that Part 230 is “very important for freedom if expression on the internet.”
“Congressman, as you pointed out, 230 has been very important for freedom if expression on the internet. It’s one of the commitments we have given to this committee and our users, and I do think it’s important to preserve that,” Chew stated.
Latta concluded by stating that TikTok is “a picture perfect example of why this committee in Congress needs to take action immediately to amend Section 230.”
Elsewhere in the course of the listening to, Latta was in a position to get Chew to confess that staff of TikTok’s mother or father firm, ByteDance, at present have entry to U.S. consumer knowledge.
“Do any ByteDance employees in China, including engineers, currently have access to U.S. user data?” Latta requested, to which Chew answered by saying, “After Project Texas is done, the answer is no. Today, there is still some data that we need to delete.”
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TikTok CEO Shou Chew doesn’t deny staff at TikTok’s mother or father firm in China have entry to People’ delicate consumer knowledge pic.twitter.com/CHyRhUGMWb
— RNC Analysis (@RNCResearch) March 23, 2023
Underneath China’s legal guidelines, ByteDance will be compelled handy over the info TikTok has collected on U.S. residents to the Chinese language Communist Get together.
As for TikTok being a hazard to youths, the instance Latta gave in the course of the listening to is only one of some ways during which the Chinese language app can and has destroyed younger lives.
Lately revealed analysis discovered that it solely takes about ten minutes after making a TikTok account for the Chinese language platform’s algorithm to begin pushing suicide movies to 13-year-old youngsters.
Earlier this month, the College of Massachusetts needed to warn its college students a few new consuming pattern on TikTok, which has resulted in 28 ambulances being referred to as to off-campus events within the space. The pattern entails college students making a “blackout rage gallon” of alcohol, flavoring, and different elements.
Earlier this yr, a 12-year-old woman in Argentina died after collaborating within the lethal “choking challenge,” the identical problem Rep. Latta talked about throughout Thursday’s listening to. On this case, the woman’s demise was filmed in a video name whereas her classmates watched as she tried the problem.
Final summer time, a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old within the UK allegedly died as a result of making an attempt the identical TikTok problem.
Final September, the FDA warned mother and father of a lethal new TikTok problem that entails youngsters cooking rooster in NyQuil, “presumably to eat.”
In 2020, one other TikTok problem concerned urging customers to take giant doses of the allergy medicine Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to induce hallucinations. The problem resulted in studies of teenagers being rushed to the hospital, and in some circumstances, dying.
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