- Amazon’s representatives met with China’s lawmakers to discuss the partnership with TikTok, centering on shopping deal within the app.
- The Select Chinese Committee conveyed to Amazon that it is dangerous and unwise for Amazon to partner with TikTok given the security threat the app poses.
What happened
Amazon representative have met with the House China committee in recent months to address lawmakers’ concerns regarding the company’s collaboration with TikTok, according to CNBC. The discussion, which focused on a shopping agreement between Amazon and TikTok that was announced in August, was verified by a representative of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the arrangement, users of China’s ByteDance-owned TikTok can link their Amazon accounts and make purchases from the website without ever leaving TikTok. TikTok risks a potential ban in the United States in January if it does not cut links with its parent business, ByteDance.
“The Select Committee conveyed to Amazon that it is dangerous and unwise for Amazon to partner with TikTok given the grave national security threat the app poses,” says the spokesperson. The revelation was first reported by Bloomberg, which said the parties met in September.
Also read:TikTok calls itself a foreign-owned US news organisation
Also read:Canada disbands TikTok for security reasons, user access unaffected
Why it’s important
The Amazon-TikTok partnership holds substantial significance, especially amid recent tensions over the U.S. presidency and heightened regulatory scrutiny of tech collaborations involving companies from the U.S. and China. The collaboration between Amazon and TikTok, a Chinese-owned platform, becomes a powerful symbol of cross-border tech partnerships, showing that despite political tensions, global tech companies still see mutual benefits in working together.
TikTok has long faced scrutiny for its handling of user data, with previous U.S. administrations attempting to limit or even ban its operations. With Amazon’s infrastructure and user data intertwining with TikTok, both Chinese and Western officials may worry about potential data sharing or privacy vulnerabilities.
This collaboration likely aims to leverage TikTok’s powerful influence over younger audiences and Amazon’s retail reach, opening up new avenues in advertising, e-commerce, and livestream shopping. Such a partnership could disrupt markets by blending social media engagement with direct purchasing options.
