House Foreign Affairs Committee Advances THIS Controversial Bill

The House Foreign Affairs Committee recently introduced HR 1153, which seeks to revise legal protections that have shielded TikTok from U.S. sanctions and prevent Americans from engaging with entities that may pose a national security threat.

The committee voted 24-16 along party lines, and if passed by the House, the bill would move to the Senate and then President Joe Biden for signature.

March 02, 2023

TikTok has denied that the app poses any national security threat, with spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter stating that a U.S. ban on the app would be a "ban on the export of American culture and values. We’re disappointed to see this rushed piece of legislation move forward, despite its considerable negative impact on the free speech rights of millions of Americans who use and love TikTok.”

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However, concerns have been raised about the app's data harvesting practices, with former President Donald Trump attempting to ban the app during his tenure in 2020.

While Trump's efforts were ultimately blocked, some politicians, including Democrat Senator Mark Warner, have now admitted that he was correct. Warner, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated during a November appearance on Fox News Sunday that "TikTok is an enormous threat" and warned parents to be cautious about their children using the app. He also raised concerns about TikTok's data collection practices, stating that "all of that data that your child is inputting and receiving is being stored somewhere in Beijing."

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Last year, the commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, urged Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores due to its alleged data harvesting practices. In a letter to the CEOs of both companies, Carr stated that "TikTok functions as a sophisticated surveillance tool that harvests extensive amounts of personal and sensitive data."

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He also raised concerns about the app's misrepresentations and ownership by an entity beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.

The controversy surrounding TikTok has sparked discussions about the need for greater personal data protection and national security.

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While the app's parent company has denied any wrongdoing, concerns about its ties to the Chinese Communist Party and data harvesting practices continue to be a topic of concern for many. As HR 1153 moves through the legislative process, its ultimate fate remains to be seen.