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

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, May 18

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for May 18.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword offers up two golf-computer clues, which sound confusing, but are pretty easy once you give them some thought. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Golf shot that’s also a piece of computer hardware
Answer: CHIP

5A clue: Golf shot that’s also a piece of computer hardware
Answer: DRIVE

6A clue: Screenwriter Sorkin
Answer: AARON

7A clue: Nonreactive, chemically
Answer: INERT

8A clue: «Bye-bye!»
Answer: SEEYA

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Origami bird
Answer: CRANE

2D clue: Person added to the staff
Answer: HIREE

3D clue: Material used to plate the skin of the Parthenon Athena and the statue of Zeus at Olympia
Answer: IVORY

4D clue: Five: Prefix
Answer: PENTA

5D clue: Speaker’s platform
Answer: DAIS

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 18, #237

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 237, for May 18.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

The blue group in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle played on my Gen X heart. If you know your classic video games, you’re golden here. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Not lose.

Green group hint: A baseball out.

Blue group hint: Glass Joe.

Purple group hint: Think Chicago.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Win

Green group: Strike out

Blue group: Classic sports video games

Purple group: Associated with Michael Jordan.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is win. The four answers are dub, triumph, victory and W.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is strike out. The four answers are fan, K, ring up and whiff.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is classic sports video games. The four answers are NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, Punch-Out and Tecmo Bowl.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Michael Jordan. The four answers are 23, 6 rings, His Airness and Last Dance.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for May 18, #707

Hints and answers for Connections for May 18, #707.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections puzzle is a mix of difficult and easy. The purple category does what most purple categories do, and makes you really break down how you think about the words. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: School days.

Green group hint: About there!

Blue group hint: Sure, let’s go.

Purple group hint: The Scarlett Letter.