Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, is set to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee regarding the popular video-sharing app owned by the Chinese company, ByteDance. This appearance comes at a vital time, with U.S. officials ramping up the pressure on TikTok's data security and user protection protocols. Although the app boasts 150 million American users, the U.S. government's scrutiny of TikTok's relationship with Beijing first began during Donald Trump's administration and has continued into the current administration.

Concerns over security have heightened tensions between the United States and China, with the U.S. urging that the app either be sold to an American company or banned. Although a ban is unlikely, experts fear that the app may be manipulated by the Chinese government and used as a propaganda tool against the American populace. Shou Zi Chew is expected to testify that selling TikTok to an American company would not address the national security concerns of American officials, although a sale would face further obstacles due to cost implications. This hearing may decide whether TikTok can continue to operate in the United States as one of its biggest markets or whether it will be banned altogether.