What is Project Texas? TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew faces Congress as US considers app ban

As video-sharing app TikTok faces a possible ban in the United States by the Biden administration, its head, Shou Zi Chew, testified before Congress to assure people that the app poses no national security risk on Thursday, March 23, 2023.

Zi Chew, who has been the CEO of the social media platform since April 2021, appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee:

"(To) state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country."

During the hearing, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers claimed that the social media platform raised concerns about "potential foreign influence on American life." Meanwhile, Democrat Frank Pallone spoke about the spread of misinformation due to TikTok and also questioned the company's data collection policies.

In response, the CEO stated that TikTok is a Singaporean company, run by a Singaporean. He explained that the platform has over 150 million users in the country who use it for various purposes, including recreation and education.

To assure the Committee that national security is of its utmost importance, Chew referred to Project Texas, an endeavor by the organization to move all its US data to domestic servers and to delete any and all user data. He said that the task would be completed by the end of this year.

---

What did TikTok CEO tell the House Energy and Commerce Committee?

The committee expressed concerns about many associates of TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, having ties with the Chinese Communist party, questioning Chew about his connections with it.

A Democrat representative from California, Tony Cárdenas, even asked if TikTok was a Chinese company, while Neal Dunn of Florida asked if they "spied on American citizens."

In his statement, Shou Zi Chew told the panel that Project Texas is a $1.5 billion security project that was started last month to erase all the user data and any US-generated data is already being stored in a cloud-based server that is operated by Oracle. He stated:

"Under this structure, there is no way for the Chinese government to access it or compel access to it."

Additionally, anyone accessing the information must first be approved by the US Data Security (USDS) personnel. He added that the data would be firewall-protected from any unwanted foreign access.

In addition to Project Texas, the CEO made a commitment to the panel:

"There are more than 150 million users who love our platform and we know we have a responsibility to protect them."

He stated that the app will focus on keeping safety their top priority, especially for teenagers, adding that the platform will remain a place of free expression that is not "manipulated by any government."

Additionally, to increase transparency, independent third-party monitoring would ensure that security commitments remain fulfilled.

---

Many TikTokers and groups are opposed to the ban

As the news of the ban took center stage this week, users have been posting their opinions. Many have stated that the committee was more interested to ban a successful outside company rather than focusing on security and privacy issues.

While TikTok's fate remains on unsteady grounds, many civil liberties and data security groups have argued against the ban. According to The Guardian, groups such as Fight for the Future, the Center for Democracy and Technology, and the American Civil Liberties Union wrote a letter that a ban would violate constitutional rights to freedom of expression.