Technologies
TikTok CEO Testifies Before Congress: Here Are Some of the Key Moments
Lawmakers grilled CEO Shou Chew about ties to China and what the app is doing to protect young people.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew on Thursday faced skeptical lawmakers in the US Congress to try to fend off calls to ban the hugely popular video app.
«There are more than 150 million Americans who love our platform, and we know we have a responsibility to protect them,» Chew said in remarks prepared for his appearance before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration demanded that ByteDance, the app’s Chinese parent company, sell its stake in the app or face a possible ban. Officials are concerned TikTok could be forced to share US user data with the Chinese government, posing a national security threat. In December, US lawmakers banned the app from government devices. Other countries, including Canada, EU member states and Taiwan, have taken similar steps.
Lawmakers on Thursday repeatedly questioned Chew about ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government, expressing doubt TikTok would be able to protect US users’ data. They also alleged that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to influence public opinion in the US.
Though the main thrust of the hearing focused on alleged ties to China, lawmakers also touched on other concerns, including data collection and protecting teens and young people from harmful content on TikTok.
Following the hearing, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said the hearing was «dominated by political grandstanding» and failed to address industry-wide issues.
«Also not mentioned today by members of the Committee: the livelihoods of the 5 million businesses on TikTok or the First Amendment implications of banning a platform loved by 150 million Americans,» said Oberwetter.
Here are some of the most interesting comments from the hearing:
Committee Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, in her opening statement: «Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security. TikTok collects nearly every data point imaginable, from people’s location to what they type and copy, biometric data and more. … TikTok surveils us all. And the Chinese Communist Party is able to use this as a tool to manipulate America as a whole. We do not trust TikTok will ever embrace American values.»
She continued: «TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation. Your platform should be banned. I expect today you’ll say anything to avoid this outcome.»
Chew, in his opening statement: «We have heard important concerns about the potential for unwanted foreign access to US data and potential manipulation of the TikTok US ecosystem. We have addressed them with real action. … That’s what we’ve been doing for the last two years, building what amounts to a firewall that seals off protected US user data from unauthorized foreign access. The bottom line is this: American data, stored on American soil, by an American company, overseen by American personnel. We call this initiative Project Texas.»
Chew, on legacy US data: «We have legacy US data sitting in our servers in Virginia and in Singapore. We’re deleting those and we expect that to be complete this year. When that is done, all protected US data will be under the protection of US law and under the control of the US led security team. This eliminates the concern that some of you have shared with me that TikTok user data can be subject to Chinese law.»
Rep. Buddy Carter, on harmful viral videos like the Milk Crate challenge: «Why is it that TikTok consistently fails to identify and moderate these kinds of harmful videos? Why is it that you allow this to go on? We’ve already heard … from parents who are here with us who have lost children.»
Chew responds: «This is a real industry challenge and we’re working on our…»
Carter: «No, no, it’s not industry. This is TikTok. We’re talking about TikTok. We’re talking about why is it that you can’t control this. … Tell me why this goes on.»
Rep. Darren Soto, on ByteDance ownership: «Mr. Chew, would TikTok be prepared to divest from ByteDance and Chinese Communist Party ties if the Department of Treasury instructed you all to do so?»
Chew responds: «I don’t think ownership is the issue here. With a lot of respect, American social companies don’t have a good track record with data privacy and user security. I mean look at Facebook and Cambridge analytica, just for one example.»
Rep. Neal Dunn asks Chew directly: «Has ByteDance spied on Americans at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party?»
Chew responds: «No.»
Dunn follows up, citing a Forbes article that ByteDance planned to use TikTok to monitor the location of US citizens: «I ask you again Mr. Chew, has ByteDance spied on American citizens?»
Chew responds: «I don’t think that spying is the right way to describe it. This is ultimately…(Dunn cuts off his response.)»
Rep. August Pfluger, on Project Texas: «Please rename your project. Texas is not the appropriate name. We stand for freedom and transparency and we don’t want your project.»
Technologies
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Technologies
Meta Debuts More Instagram Protections for Teen Users. Here’s What’s New
Accounts for teenagers using Meta’s platform, especially Instagram, will be getting new protections for direct messages and to help users spot potential scammers.
Meta this week unveiled the latest efforts it’s making to bolster the safety of teens and kids on its social media apps, with a particular focus on the teen-skewing Instagram. The company has touted these new features for Instagram in a blog post, most notably adding more information and warnings about accounts that teens might try to contact via direct messages.
«We’ve added new safety features to DMs in Teen Accounts to give teens more context about the accounts they’re messaging and help them spot potential scammers,» the post explained. «Now, teens will see new options to view safety tips and block an account, as well as the month and year the account joined Instagram, all prominently displayed at the top of new chats.»
DMs have also been given new block and report function, which Meta claims will allow and encourage users to do both at the same time when they run into sketchy accounts.
The company also reported that in June, 1 million Teen Accounts reported or blocked accounts, and another 1 million used the Location Notice feature to see if an account messaging them was in a different country.
Speaking to CNET, Meta confirmed that the new DM features and the block/report options are exclusive to Instagram for now, but that they «may explore bringing them to [Facebook] Messenger in the future.» The safety and location notices touted in the blog post are available on Instagram and Facebook.
Meta has faced many accusations over the years about the effects its platforms have on minors. Just last year, bombshell accusations emerged from a memoir by a Meta whistleblower, claiming that the company served ads to teenagers based on their emotional states.
Meta denied those claims but has taken steps in recent years to offer improved safety features for underage users on its platforms, built around new «Teen Accounts,» which limit the ability of young users to be contacted and to see certain content.
Meta will also be rolling out similar protections for accounts run by adults that share a great deal of content related to children, such as those who post pictures and videos of their children, and accounts for children managed by their parents. The blog post explained that while such accounts «are overwhelmingly used in benign ways, unfortunately there are people who may try to abuse them, leaving sexualized comments under their posts or asking for sexual images in DMs.»
For those family blogging-style accounts, Meta is extending protections including, «automatically placing these accounts into our strictest message settings to prevent unwanted messages, and turning on Hidden Words, which filters offensive comments.»
The changes will be rolling out in the next few months.
Technologies
These $130 Asus Gaming Headphones Get Almost Everything Right
The Asus ROG Pelta is a pair of fantastic gaming headphones at a great price.
Pros
- Sound great
- Comfortable
- Customizable sound
- Affordable
- Three connection modes
Cons
- No noise cancellation
- No Xbox support
- Minimal headband adjustment
After reviewing the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 headset last year, I was impressed by just how much a good headset can improve the gaming experience. While headsets like the Stealth 700s are great, they’re also expensive. The ROG Pelta headphones from Asus, on the other hand, nail the basics while being more affordable.
I’ve been testing the Pelta’s for several weeks now and I’m quite impressed. They get just about everything right and only cost $130. That’s still a fair amount of money, but much of what you get with the Pelta is often only found on headsets that cost twice as much.
What I like about the Asus ROG Pelta
For starters, the 50mm titanium-plated drivers sound great. No matter what game I played, I heard everything clearly. Both music and movies sounded fantastic, almost as good as my $300 Sony XM3 headphones.
The best part is that with the Asus Armory Crate app you can customize the sound profile in detail. Asus gives you lots of options for tuning the headphones precisely to your liking, which is a welcome touch at this price. There are some custom profiles as well for those who just want to pick one and leave it. To be honest, I never felt the need to switch from the default settings during my entire time with the Peltas.
They’re also comfortable to wear. The earcups fit well over my ears, and the cushions are comfortable — more so than the Stealth 700s. They’re made of soft mesh material that gives them greater breathability than others I’ve used. They’re also very lightweight. There’s no carrying case, which is disappointing.
Microphone quality is also solid. I never had any teammates complain about not being able to hear me, and I even took a few video calls with them and didn’t have any issues. The mic is also removable, which is convenient, so it doesn’t get in the way when you’re not using it.
The 70-hour battery life (90 on Bluetooth) is quite decent, and you can get 3 hours of usage with 15 minutes of charging.
The Pelta’s can connect to PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch and mobile devices via Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. There’s also an included USB-C cable with an adapter if you want to go the wired route. The odd part is that there’s no Xbox support.
What I didn’t like about the Asus ROG Pelta
The only real downside is that the headband is not telescoping, which means there are only three predetermined positions for adjusting the headset. This may not be a problem for most, but I have a small, weirdly shaped head and the Pelta never quite fit as snugly as I would have liked. I always felt like they would slip off at any moment. They never did, but it always felt like they were about to.
There’s also no 3.5mm headphone jack. I get that this is becoming more common these days, but it’s still annoying. There are still those of us who want a good analog connection from time to time.
Noise cancellation also doesn’t make an appearance, but that’s not uncommon on gaming headphones, especially at this price.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Pelta?
Overall, for $130, there’s really not much to dislike about the ROG Pelta headphones. They work with almost any device, sound great, have good battery life and are quite comfortable. If you’re looking for a good gaming headset that won’t have your wallet complaining, and you don’t have an Xbox, the Pelta’s should be high on the list.
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