THOUSANDS OF KIDS CALL CONGRESS BEGGING THEM NOT TO BAN TIKTOK TikTok has stated that they ONLY pushed their “please call Congress to save us” message to over 18-year-olds. However, thousands of kids are reportedly calling, too. Rep. Chip Roy: “TikTok fires everybody up, and then our offices are getting called with thousands of people calling up. Some kid called in and said they were gonna commit suicide. We have people calling in saying, ‘I’m on this all day long, every day. You can’t take this away from me.’” Mario Nawfal
‘If TikTok wants to compete in the US market, TikTok should be owned by a US company. I hold a different view of this than most Libertarians due to my background in national security. TikTok and all social media companies collect and sell data on their users. This should be written in plain language and provided up front to the users as the information is theirs. Users should have the ability to opt out of data collection. And if they do not, they should be told when their information is sold and who it is sold to. Then that company has a responsibility to inform the user what they plan to do with their data in plain language, and once again, the user should have the ability to opt out. Any company sending data to foreign governments, or to data warehouses overseas, should not be able to collect that data. Period.’ – Grover Bentley
On March 7, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce made a unanimous decision, approving two bills aimed at securing Americans’ data and compelling social media giant TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese ownership. The bipartisan move, with a 50–0 vote, signals a significant step forward, though the ultimate support from the entire Congress remains uncertain.
A bill intended to force TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell the app passed a House committee unanimously, setting up a floor vote. The bill could be used to ban TikTok from U.S. app stores unless its parent company agrees to divest the platform- NBC News
Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) emphasized the importance of these efforts in thwarting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) attempts to target, surveil, and manipulate Americans. McMorris Rodgers asserted that safeguarding American data and addressing the national security threat posed by the CCP has been a top priority.
The committee presented TikTok with a clear ultimatum: either divest from its parent company, beholden to the CCP, to continue operations in the United States, or face a ban. This legislative move comes as a response to the perceived threat of the CCP exploiting TikTok’s access to 170 million American users as a propaganda tool.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, one of the approved bills, mandates the divestment of social media apps deemed controlled by foreign adversaries presenting national security risks, with TikTok being a primary target. McMorris Rodgers highlighted the CCP’s substantial influence over TikTok, emphasizing the need to sever these ties to eliminate the security threat it poses.
During a closed session, the committee received classified intelligence from various U.S. agencies, shedding light on how TikTok serves the CCP through its parent company, ByteDance. The ongoing investigation into ByteDance’s use of TikTok geolocation data to stalk and harass American journalists has raised concerns about the CCP’s role in the company.
McMorris Rodgers pointed out the CCP’s access to data stored within China, describing it as “spying by design” and asserting that as long as TikTok remains under effective CCP control, it will pose a security threat to the United States.
In addition to addressing TikTok’s ownership, the committee unanimously passed legislation prohibiting data brokers from selling Americans’ personal information to China. This move aims to curb the current practice where brokers gather user data from various websites and sell it directly to China.
Committee Ranking Democratic Member Franke Pallone (D-N.J.) likened this legislative effort to wartime restrictions on radio and television in the 20th century, emphasizing the need to protect Americans’ privacy from data brokers compiling extensive dossiers without their knowledge.
The committee’s decision to act on these issues may have been prompted by a spam campaign orchestrated by TikTok, targeting users with location-specific information and urging them to contact their local representatives on the committee to demand a “no” vote. This aggressive approach fueled concerns among committee members, reinforcing the need for legislative measures.
Representatives Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) voiced their concerns about TikTok’s political motivations and its potential impact on users and Congress. Burlison argued that such behavior provides further justification for banning TikTok, while Davidson emphasized addressing the broader issue of bulk data export rather than singling out one company.
TikTok’s role in the American political landscape and allegations of the CCP’s influence on content promotion or suppression on the platform have stirred controversy in Congress, particularly following President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign’s decision to join TikTok last month. Representative Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) questioned the sincerity of the Biden administration’s stance on the TikTok bill, urging a complete separation from China to prevent infiltration into the minds of young people and adults.
To sum it all up: the unanimous approval of these bills by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce reflects bipartisan concerns about data security and TikTok’s potential ties to the Chinese government. The bills will now move forward in the legislative process, with their fate resting on the broader support of the Congress.
- Be prepared for anything, including lockdowns with your own Emergency Med kit – see Wellness Emergency Kit (includes Ivermectin and other essential drugs – get approved over the phone – Dr. McCullough’s company!) 🛑
- Get the Spike Control formula to help you clean your blood out of spike proteins from the vaccine. Proven to clean blood and save lives. 👍 – Whatfinger Sponsor
Major Points Discussed:
- House Committee on Energy and Commerce unanimously approves two bills addressing data security and compelling TikTok to divest from Chinese ownership.
- Committee emphasizes the need to thwart the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to target, surveil, and manipulate Americans through TikTok.
- Legislation, including the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, aims to force divestment of social media apps controlled by foreign adversaries, particularly TikTok.
- The committee raises concerns about TikTok’s potential exploitation as a propaganda tool for the CCP, with access to 170 million American users.
- The bipartisan move comes amid ongoing investigations into TikTok’s ties with the CCP, with the committee unanimously passing additional legislation to ban the sale of Americans’ personal information to China by data brokers.
James Kravitz
Comments – Threads – Links
- Good take it out of Chinese hands and give it to Americans- Maile
- Every year we go through this stuff- K.TWIN BLOG
- Wish they ban Wechat also. That’s the app even worse- Keith Zeng
- Ban it because of the terrible harm it has caused kids!- Hambone’s Word
- I’ve been hearing this since 2020 , if they wanted to ban tiktok they would’ve done it already- Wocc