U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Tim Scott (R-SC) are urging President Joe Biden to implement a national security finding determining TikTok’s operations pose a national security risk to the United States.
Officials noted in correspondence to Biden, McHenry, House Financial Services Committee chairman and Scott, the panel’s ranking member, cited the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) finding regarding TikTok in making the request. TikTok’s national security risk increased since CFIUS issued its finding in 2020 and underscores the Biden administration’s failure to address the issue.
“As public servants, we bear a profound responsibility to protect the well-being of future generations by mitigating potential hazards,” the legislators wrote. “In the digital realm, this entails equipping users with the knowledge required to navigate online risks. Additionally, we must empower parents with the tools to effectively monitor and comprehend their child’s online activities without compromising their child’s future.”
McHenry and Scott said TikTok must not be used as a tool of foreign surveillance and indoctrination on American children.
“Each day that passes, more Americans, including young Americans, are put at risk as the number of Americans using TikTok continues to grow,” the legislators wrote. “In fact, [Mr. Shou Zi Chew, TikTok’s Chief Executive Officer] testified that nearly 150 million Americans regularly use the app. The scope and quantity of Americans’ personal data that is exposed to potential surveillance and exploitation by the Chinese Communist Party (‘CCP’) is staggering. Furthermore, the CCP’s ‘national security laws’ create the potential for American TikTok users to be targeted by disinformation campaigns initiated by the Chinese state, a fact that Mr. Chew did not dispute during the hearing.”
In the absence of presidential action, Congress would take necessary steps to address national risks presented by TikTok.