Chew faces a crucial moment as he testifies before US Congress, amid concerns over data security and TikTok’s ties to China.
As TikTok battles a potential US ban, Singaporean Shou Zi Chew, the app’s CEO, has emerged at the forefront, representing the Chinese-owned platform in Washington. On March 23, Chew will testify before the US Congress, where he’ll address lawmakers’ concerns about potential access by the Chinese government to US user data. Last week, the Biden administration demanded TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, divest its stake or face a ban.
Chew’s journey to this high-stakes role includes an economics degree from University College London, followed by work at Goldman Sachs and an MBA from Harvard, where he interned at Facebook. He later joined venture capital, investing in major Chinese tech companies before moving to Xiaomi and eventually ByteDance, where he became TikTok’s CEO in 2021.
Observers note Chew’s role as a strategic one. His Singaporean nationality and experience straddling Western and Chinese business spheres positioned him as a non-confrontational figure for TikTok, which faces scrutiny in both the US and China. Analysts like Alex Capri, a lecturer at NUS Business School, acknowledge Chew’s nationality might ease the congressional exchange but emphasize that US mistrust is rooted in ByteDance’s Chinese ownership.
While ByteDance maintains that TikTok has never shared user data with the Chinese government, skepticism lingers due to China’s national security laws, which could theoretically require data sharing. Despite this, Chew has actively met with US lawmakers to reassure them, but the fundamental concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ties may overshadow his efforts.
Chew’s testimony could also spark broader reflections on the evolving dominance of non-American tech giants and the role of geopolitics in the global tech landscape, underscoring the complex environment for CEOs navigating national security concerns across borders.