‘It’s Shou time!’ CEO Shou Zi Chew seen at ViVoCity looking carefree despite recent ban on TikTok in US state

SINGAPORE: A sharp-eyed netizen spotted Singaporean-born TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at VivoCity playing bumper cars with his children.

On Sunday (May 21), TikTok user May Ng aka The Drop Servicing Mom (@mayng.co) posted a video of Mr Chew, a father of two, appearing to have great fun at Timezone.

“POV: You saw TikTok CEO Mr Chew playing bumper car with his kids.”

@mayng.co

Spotted TikTok CEO @Shou! I was too shy to ask for a pic because I don’t wish to disturb his family time #tiktokceo #mrchew #shoutime

♬ original sound – Kristel Fulgar – Kristel Fulgar

She even tagged the CEO, who goes by @Shou but added that she was “too shy to ask for a pic because I don’t wish to disturb his family time.”

It appears from the comments that Mr Chew has developed quite a fan following.

Mr Shou Zi Chew, 40, found himself in the hot seat in March of this year as he faced questions from US lawmakers at a congressional hearing over concerns of possible Chinese spying due to user data collected on the app.

The TikTok CEO was born in Singapore and lives here with his wife and two children, and has been at the helm of the company since 2021. Since he took leadership of TikTok, the app’s reach in the US has grown to 150 million users, particularly among teenagers and young adults.

“The Singaporean-born executive will serve as a deflector for TikTok, taking the heat for the app while touting its popularity and how it serves as a platform for creators and small businesses. Mr. Chew has repeatedly denied TikTok’s links to China. And he has emphasized that he lives in Singapore with his wife and two children,” wrote The New York Times on Mar 23.

The app has raised security concerns among US legislators, however, who are concerned that American data in the hands of Beijing would threaten the nation’s security or could possibly be used for purposes of promoting misinformation or pro-Beijing propaganda.

Last Wednesday (May 17) Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill banning TikTok in the state due to privacy concerns, the first state to do so.

Whether or not other states will follow suit remains to be seen.

/TISG

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