TikTok U.S. Chief Security Officer Will Farrell will testify before a U.S. House committee on Sept. 15, a congressional aide said Tuesday, as lawmakers seek answers about China’s involvement with the popular video-sharing app.
Farrell, who oversees data privacy and cybersecurity, will appear before the U.S. House Select Committee on China. This will mark the first time a TikTok U.S. executive has testified before the House since the app’s U.S. operations were divested from ByteDance.
ByteDance, which retains a 19.9% stake in the U.S. operation, has disclosed few details about the deal. The hearing will give lawmakers an opportunity to question officials about President Donald Trump’s role in brokering the divestment.
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A 2024 law required ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a U.S. ban. The company’s U.S. operations were ultimately transferred to an American-owned joint venture, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. The venture’s three managing investors—cloud computing giant Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake (SILAK.UL), and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX—each hold a 15% stake.
House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar said last year that he planned to bring the joint venture’s leadership before Congress for a public hearing in 2026. A spokesperson for Moolenaar declined to comment on Farrell’s planned testimony. Adam Presser, CEO of TikTok U.S., is not expected to appear before Congress on Sept. 15.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, publicly invited TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in May to testify on children’s online safety alongside other social media executives. The committee has not yet announced a hearing date.
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Earlier this year, President Donald Trump and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi were sued by retail investors in two of TikTok’s social media rivals, who sought to overturn the president’s approval of the TikTok sell-off deal.
The lawsuit stated that “under the announced deal, ByteDance would still control all the essential elements of TikTok. Such a deal would subvert the very purpose of the TikTok Law, as ByteDance could continue to push Chinese propaganda and censor the content it does not like.”
ByteDance said TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, finalized in January and 80% owned by non-Chinese investors, would protect U.S. user data, apps, and algorithms through data privacy and cybersecurity measures.