Recent statements from various political figures have intensified the scrutiny on TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, amidst allegations of misleading Congress and potential misuse for surveillance by Beijing. Congressman Josh Gottheimer and Congressman Ritchie Torres successfully pressured NYC to terminate a deal with TikTok through LinkNYC, citing concerns over increased surveillance risks. Additionally, Gottheimer emphasized the need for the Senate to consider the bipartisan Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, aimed at safeguarding Americans from foreign influence via applications like TikTok. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also weighed in, clarifying that the debate around a TikTok bill is not about restricting speech but about addressing the potential misuse of the platform by the People's Republic of China (PRC), noting that Chinese citizens themselves are banned from accessing TikTok.
McConnell on TikTok bill: Let’s be absolutely clear, this isn't a debate about restricting speech. After all, the PRC does enough of that itself. Chinese citizens are banned from accessing Tik Tok at all. No matter how loudly Tik Tok's apologists claim that reining in PRC…
Congressman Josh Gottheimer and I pressured NYC to end a deal between LinkNYC and TikTok, which would have led to greater surveillance of New Yorkers at the hands of a foreign adversary. https://t.co/nBhIG6HzW2
Using TikTok, China’s government has the ability to control what an entire generation of Americans see and consume every single day The Senate needs to bring my bipartisan Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to a vote. https://t.co/9yGMKX1nTq
When pro-TikTok mouthpieces say “there is no evidence” of TikTok wrongdoing, that is patently false. TikTok misled Congress. Beijing can command ByteDance to use TikTok for whatever it wants. That’s the truth and everyone knows it. https://t.co/pLyOfvsEsM
When pro-TikTok mouthpieces say “there is no evidence” of TikTok wrongdoing, everyone knows that is patently false. TikTok misled Congress. Beijing can command ByteDance to use TikTok for whatever it wants. That’s the truth. https://t.co/ZrvxliuGL6