WASHINGTON: TikTok pushed back Wednesday at what it called "maligning attacks" by Facebook as the fast-growing video-sharing app claimed it helps competition in the US market.

The comments by TikTok came hours ahead of a hotly anticipated antitrust hearing with the top executives of Facebook and three other Big Tech firms, and amid suggestions the app may be banned due to its connections to China.

TiKTok welcomes "fair competition" chief executive Kevin Mayer said in a blog post, while adding that "without TikTok, American advertisers would again be left with few choices."

He added: "Let's focus our energies on fair and open competition in service of our consumers, rather than maligning attacks by our competitor - namely Facebook - disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US." The comments appeared to respond to claims by Facebook CEO last year that TikTok had censored information about protests in China, the home of TikTok parent firm ByteDance.