By all accounts, TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps today. Countless people use TikTok to share videos, go live, and even promote their businesses.
TikTok’s garnered a reputation for being fun, hip, and interesting to play around with. Many users of the platform have even managed to go viral and amass a considerable number of followers.
However, there is more to TikTok than meets the eye. Several Republican lawmakers have pointed out concerns with security on the platform and whether or not the data of American citizens is being exposed to communist China.
Now, Republicans are putting the heat on Biden to get serious about this, as reported by The Hill.
A Matter of National Security
Sitting members of the GOP Senate are charging the Biden White House with not seriously taking on issues that stem from TikTok.
Republicans penned a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, asking why TikTok owner ByteDance hasn’t been made to dispossess its US assets and get rid of information it’s managed to acquire through TikTok.
This order was put in place during the Trump administration; however, Biden and his officials somehow never got around to seeing it through.
"Did #Biden drop the ball on #TikTok and #China?
An explosive report from BuzzFeed raises more questions about whether TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app, exposes the personal information of Americans to Beijing." @andrewrsorkin @nytimes #India banned it. We should too!
— Chris Fenton (@TheDragonFeeder) June 21, 2022
TikTok’s Chinese ownership is very concerning, seeing as China is a direct US competitor that’s grown extremely friendly with nations hostile to America, such as Russia.
All things considered, Senate Republicans aim for the White House to lay out a comprehensive plan to ensure that TikTok doesn’t compromise the safety of Americans’ data.
Thus far, the Biden administration has yet to meet these demands.
A Push For More Reliance Upon China?
TikTok is not the only issue that’s raised eyebrows about how Biden’s dealing with China.
As many Americans are aware, the president and his administration have been pushing for the widespread use of electric vehicles. It just so happens that the batteries to create these vehicles largely come from China.
At this time, the United States doesn’t yet have ample access to the supplies needed to construct these batteries.
President Biden should be protecting Americans’ data—instead he’s protecting a Chinese company harvesting that data.
We need to know why Secretary Yellen is shielding TikTok’s owner, Bytedance.https://t.co/tdpCVNljzO
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 28, 2022
Yet, if Biden got his way, widespread use of electric vehicles in America would make our country reliant upon China for transport.
To many Americans, this is a nightmare scenario that wouldn’t do the country any favors. Also, a lot of people have questions about the business deals between China and the Biden administration over the years.
Thus far, the White House has not put out any statements regarding its official position or policy plans concerning TikTok.
Are you worried about TikTok compromising the data of American citizens? Please let us know what actions you think the federal government should assume concerning this matter. The comments section is open and waiting for you.
