(HorizonPost.com) – On Tuesday, three Congress members introduced legislation preventing TikTok from being used in the United States.
The Anti-Social CCP Act, introduced by Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Republican Representative Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, and Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, would outlaw the use of social media platforms in the United States by businesses with headquarters in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Numerous members of Congress have raised concerns over TikTok’s collection of user data, and several states have made it illegal for government employees to download the app to their phones.
Marco Rubio said the federal government has not yet taken a significant step to safeguard American users from TikTok’s danger. It’s not making inventive videos; it’s an app that gathers information on millions of Americans. He said they know it is employed to sway elections and manipulate feeds. It obediently serves the People’s Republic of China.
“It’s time to permanently outlaw Beijing-owned TikTok,” Rubio said.
In 2020, the Trump administration outlawed American communication with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, citing national security concerns. President Joe Biden formally revoked Trump’s executive orders in 2021 after federal judges overturned them.
TikTok collects user data, including biometric data like voiceprints and face prints. Early in 2021, the company agreed to pay a $92 million settlement for breaking an Illinois state law governing biometric data collection. Despite what the company claims, employees in China have access to all TikTok user information and are obligated to give it to the government upon request.
Gallagher said in a statement that TikTok is a type of digital fentanyl that is making Americans addicted, accumulating vast amounts of data about them, and censoring their news. “Additionally, it is a media company with growing influence that is owned by ByteDance, which ultimately answers to the Chinese Communist Party, the main foe of the United States,” Gallagher said.
Because of TikTok’s data collection practices and ties to China, several states have passed laws prohibiting government workers from using the app on their work phones. These include South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Alabama, South Carolina, Nebraska, and Maryland.
Bipartisan support was given to anti-China legislation during the 117th Congress. A bill to ban imports from the Xinjiang region, as well as one to promote domestic semiconductor fabrication, were both signed into law by President Joe Biden.
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