美国国家公共电台 NPR--TikTok's CEO faces a House panel on whether the app is a threat to national security

TikTok's CEO faces a House panel on whether the app is a threat to national security

Transcript¹

Ahead of a hearing with TikTok's CEO, NPR's Leila Fadel asks Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan, who's on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, if TikTok should be banned in the U.S.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Should the Biden administration ban TikTok in the U.S.? That's what he's threatening if TikTok isn't sold by its Chinese parent company. The social media giant's CEO will face lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee today. Ahead of the hearing, TikTok CEO Shou Chew posted a video announcing the platform now has over 150 million monthly active users right here in the U.S.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SHOU ZI CHEW: I'll be testifying before Congress to share all that we're doing to protect Americans using the app and deliver on our mission to inspire creativity and to bring joy.

FADEL: Now, the concern, some experts say, is that because TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, it could share private data of Americans with China's government or even try to influence American politics. Congresswoman Lori Trahan is a member of the House panel that will question the TikTok CEO later this morning, and she joins us now. Good morning.

LORI TRAHAN: Good morning, Leila.

FADEL: So what do you want to hear from Shou this morning to quell³ concerns about national security?

TRAHAN: Yeah, so I met with Mr. Chew a couple of weeks ago in advance of today's hearing, and he said something during that meeting that really struck me. He said that TikTok is operating from a place where it has basically no trust and that he wanted to be open and transparent⁴ about the problems that exist on his platform and how to fix them. Mind you, that's not something that tech CEOs are typically looking to do when they testify before Congress. But today is an opportunity for Mr. Chew to walk the walk.

He has a chance to look members of Congress in the eye and answer serious questions about why we should be confident that the steps he's taking are sufficient to protect Americans' data. And that's going to be very important. But it's my hope, as a mom of two young girls who are just getting to that social media age, that he goes well beyond that to talk about the serious issues the company faces when it comes to safeguarding children and the teens who use TikTok.

FADEL: In your view, does TikTok pose a national security threat?

TRAHAN: Look, I think that's - you know, ultimately, I think that's a decision on whether to ban TikTok or force a sale. It's going to come down to the administration. And frankly⁵, the hearing today will be an important input⁶ on that. The administration's been in active negotiations⁷ with the company for a long time. If the administration decides to move forward with the ban or forcing a sale, they're going to have to explain in detail why the options that TikTok proposed were insufficient⁸ and why there was nothing left to negotiate. But what can't happen is some sort of action on TikTok, whatever that may be, and then folks in Washington declaring victory in the fight to rein⁹ in the abuses of dominant¹⁰ tech companies because a social media landscape without TikTok isn't any safer for our data. And it certainly isn't safer for our children, who have been viewed as nothing more than the next opportunity to grow tech companies' profits for a very long time.

FADEL: So is TikTok facing unfair - an unfair amount of scrutiny¹¹? I mean, there hasn't actually been any evidence that they share data with China's government. I mean, there was this one high-profile incident of a ByteDance employee, the company that owns TikTok, accessing American user information inappropriately. But there's been no evidence of this other type of conduct that would hurt national security.

TRAHAN: Well, I think there are real national security concerns when it comes to TikTok. It's a company that's based in China and subject to laws that could allow the Chinese government to force TikTok to hand over users' data. That's serious. And I don't think there's a single person who listened to the director of the FBI say that the app has some real problems and wrote that off as hyperbole.

FADEL: Yeah.

TRAHAN: But it would be a mistake to focus solely¹² on the national security threat posed by a company like TikTok without also...

FADEL: But on that issue...

TRAHAN: Yeah.

FADEL: ...Would you say the proposal by TikTok to store American data here - is that enough?

TRAHAN: We - you know, that warrants a lot more questioning. Exactly how that happens - how do you wall off data when posts are shared internationally? How does that work? How does a company that - or the storage of data on a server - how does that actually instill confidence that Americans' data will be protected and that it won't have - or that the Chinese government won't be able to access it? Those are the questions that really need to be answered and frankly, you know, the administration has to contend with.

FADEL: Democrat² Lori Trahan, who represents Massachusetts' third district, thank you.

TRAHAN: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

4 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

7 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

8 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

9 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

10 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

11 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

12 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。