Shou Zi Chew, TikTok’s CEO is in the spotlight amid increasing skepticism of the app. The app is at risk of being banned across the US. Read to know more.
Who is Shou Zi Chew?
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is in the spotlight as skepticism of the Chinese app is increasing across the world. On Thursday, the 40-year-old is going to testify before the United States House Energy and Commerce Committee. They will be going through the data security and privacy policies of the app. Additionally, the committee will also discuss the suspected connections to the Chinese government.
Born and Raised in Singapore, Chew attended a prestigious Chinese-language school. He is fluent in both English and Mandarin and was an officer in the Singaporean armed services during his military conscription. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Economics from University College London and interned at Facebook during its start-up days. Later, he enrolled at Harward Business School for an MBA. He previously worked for Goldman Sachs and served as Xiaomi’s CFO and President of International business in addition to leading the firm’s 2018 IPO. Reports reveal Chew worked at DST Global, an investment firm where he was in charge of leading a team that invested in ByteDance in 2013.
More on TikTok’s future in the US
Earlier in 2022, Congress questioned Vanessa Pappas on the alleged flow of US data to China. Pappas is TikTok’s public face and Chief Operating Officer. Moreover, a letter to the MPs mentioned that Shou Zi Chew is not Chinese but “a Singaporean based in Singapore,” emphasizing that it acts independently from ByteDance, the parent company.
While Chew leads one of the best-known apps, he keeps a low profile. He will be required to defend the company before the critics from House Energy and Commerce Committee. In an interview, he stated that he doesn’t see the upcoming meeting as a last effort to save the firm’s operation in the US. “I look at it as an opportunity to do that, not a do-or-die,” stated Chew. For him, it is an “opportunity to explain what the company is attempting to do and to gather feedback from Congress members.”