Gov. concerned about Va. school districts using Chinese-owned tutoring platform (2024)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is concerned that several Virginia school divisions — including three of the state’s largest — are using a Chinese-owned tutoring platform associated with TikTok’s parent company.

The online service tutor.com is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, a firm owned by Chinese nationals with a principal place of business in Hong Kong, China, according to its website.

“The governor is concerned about the company having access to Virginians’ data unknowingly and has asked” the Virginia Department of Education” for information regarding the use of Tutor.com in Virginia school divisions,” said Youngkin spokesman Christian Martinez.

Fairfax, Loudoun and Virginia Beach are three of the state’s four largest school systems.

Tutor.com said in a statement: “No personal information of students or families is shared with Primavera, and Primavera does not have — and may not obtain — access to our IT systems.

“Tutor.com is an American company, and we abide by U.S. state and federal laws. We were incorporated in 2000 in the state of Delaware. Our principal place of business is New York City, and all student data is housed in the United States. As an American company, Tutor.com cannot be compelled to release personal data of U.S. students and families to China or any foreign government.”

Tutor.com was acquired by Primavera Capital Group, a Chinese-owned corporation associated with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance in January 2022.

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation on Wednesday that would lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok if ByteDance does not sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where’s its future is uncertain.

U.S. lawmakers contend that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s U.S. consumers anytime it wants.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has taken a strong stance on apps developed by companies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party, including TikTok.

Martinez said: “Since the beginning of the administration, the governor has voiced his concern of the impact of Chinese Communist Party-affiliated TikTok on our children’s mental health, which has proven to be detrimental.

“He took action two years ago by banning TikTok on state employee devices. Last year he supported and signed into law” a bill from Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, “banning apps developed by ByteDance and Tencent holdings, including TikTok and WeChat, on any government issued device, which includes all Virginia School divisions.”

Tutor.com is owned by Primavera, which is an investor in ByteDance, but tutor.com was not developed by ByteDance.

Last year, a Virginia bill to ban state agencies from contracting with firms controlled by hostile foreign interests — originally aimed at Chinese Communist Party affiliates — died in the state Senate Finance Committee.

In January 2023, Youngkin said he had taken Virginia out of the running for a Ford electric battery plant, expressing concerns that the joint venture between Ford and a Chinese company would be a front for the Chinese Communist Party.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, wrote a letter last month warning the U.S. Department of Defense, which contracts with tutor.com to tutor American service members and their children.

“This business relationship is ill-advised, reckless, and a danger to U.S. national security, and the Department should immediately end that relationship,” Cotton wrote.

“While providing educational services, Tutor.com collects personal data on users, such as location, internet protocol addresses, and contents of the tutoring sessions,” Cotton added. “As Chinese national security laws require companies to release confidential business and customer data to the Chinese government, we are paying to expose our military and their children’s private information to the Chinese Communist Party.”