TikTok pledges to spend more than $2 billion to protect its 170 million US users

In the latest move, TikTok pledged to spend more than $2 billion this year to protect children and other users on its short-form video service, as the platform surpassed 170 million monthly active users in the US.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew revealed the plan during a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, along with executives from Meta, X, Snap, and Discord, focused on examining what social media companies are doing to protect young people online.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew joins major tech rivals in the latest US Senate hearing. (Photo: Getty Images)

TikTok's CEO said the company will spend more than $2 billion this year to strengthen trust and safety for users globally, through a team of more than 40,000 people working on those strategies, with a significant portion of that investment focused on TikTok's U.S. operations.

The disclosure also underscores ByteDance Ltd.’s rapid growth in the U.S. market and its ability to attract both users and advertising dollars from rivals Facebook, Instagram and Alphabet Inc.’s Google.

Chew also plans to highlight some policies regarding teen users that he says are unique to TikTok. Specifically, users under 16 cannot send messages on the app, and cannot download or recommend their videos to people they are not already connected to. Those 17 and under will be limited to 60 minutes of TikTok viewing on a preset screen before needing to enter a password to continue watching. Additionally, only those over 18 are allowed to host live streams on the TikTok platform.

When it comes to images and videos that could potentially be child pornography, TikTok uses public content review technology to find prohibited material. Direct messages are moderated using third-party tools like PhotoDNA and Take It Down, Chew added.

This is the second time Shou Chew has testified before the US Congress . Last year, he was invited to a hearing in the US House of Representatives, focusing on potential national security threats stemming from Chinese ownership of the TikTok app.

HUYNH DUNG (Source: Bloomberg)

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