Rep. DeGette Tells TikTok CEO His Platform Has to Provide Better Information on Terminating the Unborn

(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Diana DeGette (D.-Colo.) told TikTok CEO Shou Zi  Chew, when he testified in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, that TikTok has to provide better information on terminating a pregnancy.

“I want to ask you what TikTok can do to make sure to monitor this content,” DeGette told Chew. “And I want to give you some examples of some of the extreme content.”

“There’s also extreme content around healthcare information,” DeGette told him.

“In one study, thirteen out of twenty results for the question does mugwort induce abortion, it talked about herbal so-called abortifacients like Papaya seeds, which don’t work.

“And, so, if people searching for information on safe abortions went on TikTok, they could get devastatingly incorrect information,” DeGette said.

Here is a transcript of what DeGette said to the TikTok CEO about abortion information:

Rep. Diana DeGette: “Mr. Chew, like my colleagues, I’m concerned about the influence of China on TikTok and what that does for U.S. users. But I’m also concerned about how the content in TikTok is being distributed, particularly to young people.  This is not a problem unique to TikTok, but TikTok has 150 million users in the United States and, so, I think you’ll agree that TikTok has a particular responsibility to monitor content to make sure that it is safe and accurate. Would that be fair to say?”

TikTok CEO Shou Chew: “Yes, I agree with that.”

Degette: “So, I know you said in your opening statement, there’s a ban for—or limited—for kids under 13 and under 18 and so on. But I know it won’t be use for you that computer savvy kids actually can bypass some of those restrictions quite frequently and they can do it even if they have parental oversight.

“And, so, what I want to ask you is rather than putting the burden on young people and parents to accurately put in the birthdate and so on, when registering for TikTok, I want to ask you what TikTok can do to make sure to monitor this content. And I want to give you some examples of some of the extreme content. Mr. Latta talked about the blackout challenge, and the some of the dangers to young people’s safety. But there’s also extreme content around healthcare information. In one study, thirteen out of twenty results for the question does mugwort induce abortion, it talked about herbal so-called abortifacients like Papaya seeds, which don’t work. And, so, if people searching for information on safe abortions went on TikTok, they could get devastatingly incorrect information.”

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