By Daysia Tolentino -
NBC News
After Shou Zi Chew, TikTok's chief executive, was grilled on Thursday by members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, users of the platform showed their support for the app in the best way they know how: with videos showing their love for Chew.
Several legislators expressed the complaints of their constituents, who lament the negative influence of that social network, but Chew insisted that most users have a good experience on the application.
Some made videos attesting to this and criticizing lawmakers for their lack of technological savvy and harsh questions.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies during a hearing before the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, Thursday, March 23, 2023, on Capitol Hill, in Washington.
Some took their tokens of love a little further and made "fan videos" of the exec, perhaps the highest form of recognition among TikTok users.
Some accompanied the videos of him with messages praising his testimony in Congress.
"Can we talk about how hard you are working to stop the network from being banned?" read one of the billboards in a video with more than 1.3 million views.
"If TikTok is bad, why is he doing well," said another user in a video about Chew.
TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a video posted to the app on Friday, Chew thanked users for their support and reiterated TikTok's commitment to protecting the
150 million Americans who use the platform
.
He stressed the app's efforts to protect teens, preserve information about users in the United States, maintain free speech on the platform, and employ third parties to ensure transparency.
Chew faced skepticism from committee members as he addressed concerns about the security of user data, child protection and TikTok's ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Despite his best efforts, committee members constantly interrupted his responses and expressed dissatisfaction.
[White House gives federal agencies 30 days to remove TikTok]
After the video Chew posted after the hearing, users continued to show their love for the app and their anger towards the committee.
Chew's video had more than 40,000 comments as of Friday, most of them positive.
41% of American adults agree that the government bans TikTok
March 24, 202300:51
"You were amazing. I am so disappointed in our Government. You deserve better, we deserve better," one person wrote.
"Sorry our Congress is so painful. We love you and we love TikTok," wrote another.
"We love this app. I have learned so many interesting and useful things about other cultures," said one user.
Gen Z activists have said a TikTok ban would be "a cookie in the face" for young voters.
A recent poll found that members of Generation Z oppose the closure of TikTok by a margin of 53% to 34%.