STORY: "You'll find education videos, cooking videos, there's a whole range of content out there, you just have to consume it if you have the time," said New York University graduate student Anushka Singh.

At the hearing, lawmakers accused TikTok of serving harmful content and inflicting "emotional distress" on young users.

It marked TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew's first appearance before Congress, and the hearing comes at a critical moment for the wildly popular video app that is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company.

U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle quizzed Chew on whether American user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, but also demanded he address examples of harmful content posted on the app.

Chew testified that while the "vast majority" of TikTok users are over the age of 18, the company has invested in measures to protect young people who use the app.