‘Death and Despair’: Republican Rep Issues Blistering Statement During TikTok Hearing

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Ore.) went off about the dangers of TikTok during a hearing with the company’s CEO. Addressing CEO Shou Zi Chew during Thursday’s hearing, McMorris Rodgers said, “You are here because the…

Savannah RychcikMar 23, 20232 min read

Watch her comments below:

McMorris Rodgers argued, “TikTok also targets our children. The ‘for you’ algorithm is a tool for TikTok to own their attention and prey on their innocence.”

Referencing the platform’s alleged promotion of suicide and self harm, she continued, “It’s also a portal for drug dealers to sell illicit fentanyl that China has banned.”

During her statement, McMorris Rodgers pointed out the Chinese Communist Party prohibits certain content that “promotes death and despair to kids.”

Additionally, she equated TikTok’s ability to provide content to kids in the U.S. with “allowing the Soviet Union to produce Saturday morning cartoons during the Cold War.”

Watch more of her remarks below:

The Associated Press noted Shou Zi Chew’s testimony comes at a “crucial time” during which the company has acquired 150 million users from the United States.

Notably, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance are now involved in a larger battle between Beijing and Washington when it comes to the issues of trade and technology.

“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Shou Zi Chew said during the testimony.