Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, will be inserting his own head into the mouth of a lion on Thursday.
It's scary for him to testify for the first time in front of the US Congress.
The long-term viability of the US-based video-sharing app is also in jeopardy.
Chris Stokel-Walker, the author of TikTok Boom, stated, "I think that there is a real risk that if this hearing doesn't go well... that could have a massive impact on the future of TikTok."
Mr. Chew is likely to be confronted with a torrent of inquiries regarding TikTok's relationship with China, the data it collects, and its use. He will also be asked why ByteDance employees spied on several journalists, as TikTok has already acknowledged.
Mr. Chew will assert that user data is secure and out of the Chinese government's reach.
He is aware that politicians from all sides want to sell the platform or ban it completely in the United States.
Mr. Stokel-Walker stated, "He's going into the lion's den."
Mr. Chew will need to perform like he's never done it before. In addition, close observers have already observed a shift in the Singaporean's strategy.
The boss of TikTok, who has held a number of senior finance positions, typically wears a suit jacket and tie.
However, on Tuesday, he uploaded a TikTok with a very distinct appearance.
The casual tech founder's uniform consisted of a white T-shirt and hoodie rather than a suit.
The 40-year-old suddenly started talking like a teenager, describing herself as "super excited."
Caitlin Chin, a representative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan think tank, stated, "I think he's trying to give off a sort of the casual tech bro."
"He's actually been starting to get a little bit more of a public profile, especially in the lead-up to this hearing,"
Since taking over at TikTok in 2021, the Singaporean has generally kept a low profile. However, that strategy appears to have changed. TikTok is battling for its life, and Mr Bite knows it.
The fact that TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company, is the primary issue in the United States and Europe.
Additionally, specific laws in China mandate that businesses provide the Chinese Communist Party with requested information. Numerous pieces of information about its users, including biometric and location data, are stored on TikTok.
TikTok has maintained for a number of years that it would never share user data.
It has spent tens of millions of dollars on strategies for influencing governments and lobbying.
"Project Texas" is at the heart of its effort to persuade lawmakers in the United States.
This demonstrates the company's commitment to storing US data on servers managed by Oracle, a US company.
The company claims to have invested $1.5 billion in this endeavor, which it refers to as a "firewall" that shields data from foreign governments.
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