Republican and Democrat lawmakers spoke out on CNN about the dangers of allowing Communist Chinese-tied parent company ByteDance to access users’ data on TikTok. Bipartisan lawmakers Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) sounded the alarm in light of a recent lawsuit against the social media app.
With host Jake Tapper’s prompt, Gallagher called for a unified ban on TikTok in the U.S., citing a bipartisan bill, the ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act, which would prohibit the app from operating if it does not sever its ties with ByteDance.
“TikTok can exfiltrate your data, track your location, and censor the news you see,” noted Gallagher’s Press Office in a tweet, summing up the concern of all lawmakers involved.
Krishnamoorthi cited a whistleblower’s testimony that made the case against TikTok even stronger. “We need to remember that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party at the very highest levels,” he warned.
Gallagher cast doubt on the CEO’s claims and also took issue with him for choosing to deny the allegations instead of testifying before Congress. “The allegations of this employee contradict in many ways the testimony of TikTok CEO before Congress months ago,” Gallagher stated.
As TikTok continues to grow in popularity, it is becoming even more important to take measures to protect users’ privacy and information. As Gallagher and the rest of the bipartisan congressional coalition have made clear, we must take a firm stance on how our data is collected and used by social media platforms.
We should be taking measures to address the security concerns, privacy risks, and dangerous censorship practices that Chinese companies have been documented to deploy.
The bravery of the whistleblowers and lawmakers speaking out cannot be overstated. It is commendable that the bipartisan effort is intending to protect the freedoms and security of American citizens.
It is a reminder that our nation should be working together on issues such as this, and not letting political party come before the security of our people. We must take steps to hold these foreign companies accountable for their practices, and the only way to do that is by confronting the issue with strength and unity.
TikTok can exfiltrate your data, track your location, and censor the news you see.
Rep. Gallagher outlines why this is a threat and why we need to ban or force a sale of the app before it’s too late. pic.twitter.com/5IPxPAJKqE
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) May 19, 2023
We must contact our representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account for mirroring the First Amendment. We should also demand transparency from Big Tech, clarity on so-called hate speech, and equal footing for conservatives as well.
We must take action now to ensure that our data is safe and sound from the hands of oppressive Communist regimes.
That said, we need clear, comprehensive legislation that doesn’t just grant our own government free reign to rule or cost Americans more rights.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
