TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who has been thrust into the spotlight by American lawmakers, is one of the honorary chairs at Monday’s Met Gala.
In addition to Chew serving as honorary chair of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Benefit, TikTok is also a sponsor of the event.
The Met said the museum benefit and exhibit were “made possible by TikTok” in February Press release.
TikTok and Chew’s roles in Meta Gala come as the popular social media app struggles to stay active in the U.S. after President Biden signed a bipartisan bill that would force ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to to sell the app or face a ban on NÓS
Lawmakers supporting the bill have said it aims to protect the U.S. from national security threats posed by TikTok’s connections to its Chinese parent company, but TikTok has rejected claims that it poses such threats.
The company has vowed to fight the law in court, as it has done in previous attempts, and said it violates users’ free speech rights.
This is one of several regulatory battles TikTok faces. Chew was also questioned by senators at a hearing earlier this year about children’s online safety, along with the CEOs of Meta, Discord, Snap and X. The company is also under investigation by European Union regulators.
Along with Chew, Jonathan Anderson, creative director of LOEWE, will also serve as honorary chair of the Met Gala.
This year’s dress code for the charity event is “The Garden of Time,” in honor of the exhibit’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Awakening Fashion.”
The exhibition will use technology, including artificial intelligence and computer-generated imagery, as well as conservation analysis to “reactivate the sensory capabilities of the masterpieces in the Museum’s collection,” according to a statement from the Met. The exhibition will include 250 objects spanning four centuries.
The celebrity co-chairs of the benefit are Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Wintour and Zendaya.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
