TikTok is the catalyst for something much bigger: Expert

TikTok CEO Shou Chew testified before U.S. lawmakers on Thursday. The social media executive defended the video app amid concerns about its roots in China.

As TikTok looks to add to its 150 million monthly active American users, concerns grow over the app’s danger to U.S. national security and Americans. “This is a real tech success story for China that has become incredibly politically toxic to Washington,” says Rhodium Group’s Reva Goujon.

The escalating tensions over TikTok could be about more than the app itself, with Goujon saying issues with the app are the catalyst "for something much bigger in play, especially as the U.S. has been trying to get to a more coherent data security policy."

U.S. lawmakers recently introduced the RESTRICT Act, which is aimed to tackle national security threats from foreign tech.

You can watch Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman and Brad Smith's full interview with Reva Goujon here.

Key video moments:

00:00:03 U.S. tech & investment controls

00:00:41 TikTok's political turmoil