Chaos ensued on Saturday night when TikTok ceased to work on 170 million US phones and devices, before rebooting by breakfast time on Sunday. The ban had been discussed by the US government due to fears over China’s propaganda and data collection.
The app was banned for having alleged ties to the Chinese government, which TikTok‘s parent company Bytedance denies. It’s unclear who exactly was the cause behind the app’s temporary deletion, but Donald Trump proposed a ban of the app in 2020.
He then took a U-turn when he announced that he wanted to “save” TikTok by pausing the ban. What was even more confusing about this situation was the appearance of TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, at Trump‘s inauguration on Monday.
But who is Shou Zi Chew, and why was he at the ceremony if his app is suspected of feeding information to China? Here’s what you should know.
Who is Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok?
Despite taking over TikTok in 2021, Chew was not massively recognisable until last year as he defended TikTok in front of US lawmakers, ensuring them the app did not pose a national security threat to America. After attending the inauguration, he is sure to become one of the world’s most recognisable businessmen, on par with Zuckerberg and Musk.
But the tech boss has come from a humble background. Born in Singapore in 1982, his parents were a construction worker and a bookkeeper. He attended a prestigious Chinese-language school, and served as an officer during his mandatory military service in Singapore.
After studying at University College London and Harvard Business School, Chew interned at Facebook in its early days, learning all things social media.
Climbing the tech industry ladder, he found himself as CEO of TikTok in March 2021. Interestingly, the father of two, married to investment firm CEO Vivian Kao, does not allow his children to use TikTok, claiming they are “too young” for the platform.
Why was TikTok’s CEO at Trump’s inauguration?
Although Trump was first to propose a ban of the app way back in 2020, he has now positioned himself as a protector of TikTok, which it appears the CEO is grateful for. He posted a TikTok himself, stating his thanks for Trump’s attempt to pause the ban.
In his video he said: “I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”
Other top CEOs Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were also on the guest list for the inauguration. Perhaps the TikTok boss’s presence at Trump’s swearing-in was meant to represent their professional relationship going forward.
While it’s unclear whether TikTok will end up fully barred from the States, after its temporary deletion and the appearance of its CEO at Trump’s ceremony, it’s clear to see that the discussion is far from over.
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