Shou Zi Chew, chief executive of TikTok Inc., speaks Thursday during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington where he denied accusations that the app is tied to the Chinese government and shares customers’ privacy data. Photo: Al Drago/VCG

During the hearing, Chew said: “American data stored on American soil, by an American company.” He also pointed out that the company is headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore and has employed 7,000 people in the U.S. Photo: Michael Brochstein/VCG

Representative Jay Obernolte, a Republican from California, speaks during the hearing. Photo: Al Drago/VCG

Representative Tony Cardenas, a Democrat from California, speaks during the hearing. Both Democrats and Republicans on the committee questioned Chew’s statements. Photo: Al Drago/VCG

Chew addresses the media before testifying at the hearing, called TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy And Protect Children From Online Harms. Photo: Tom Williams/VCG

Journalists take photos of Chew before the hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/VCG

On Wednesday, Jamaal Bowman, the U.S. representative for New York’s 16th congressional district, spoke outside the capital to voice his opposition to a potential ban of the app. TikTok has 150 million monthly active users in the U.S., according to the company. Photo: Nathan Posner/VCG