In the wake of a shocking report by the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), Republican senators have launched a passionate plea to President Joe Biden, urging him to take immediate and resolute action by compelling TikTok, the immensely popular social media platform, to be divested to an American corporation in order to neutralize grave national security risks.
Comprised of nine esteemed officials, the NSAB recently issued an uncompromising directive to ByteDance, the Chinese internet giant that holds ownership of TikTok, making it mandatory for them to sell the platform to an American entity or face an all-encompassing nationwide ban. The gravity of the situation was underscored back in 2020 when a comprehensive national security assessment conducted by the CIA uncovered TikTok’s potential to “pose severe threats to the national security of the United States,” leading former President Trump to contemplate an executive order to ban the app.
In an assertive letter addressed to the White House, Senators Tim Scott (SC) and Patrick McHenry (NC), chairs of the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee respectively, stressed the urgent need to implement the NSAB’s findings in light of the persisting concerns surrounding TikTok. The legislators wholeheartedly pledged their unwavering support to the President’s endeavors in Congress, but they issued a stern warning that if no prompt action is taken, Congress itself would take decisive steps to safeguard the nation from the imminent perils emanating from TikTok.
Scott and McHenry underscored that the current administration holds the requisite authority to address the national security issues highlighted in the NSAB’s assessment.
“As dedicated public servants, we bear an immense responsibility to secure the future by mitigating risks to the well-being and security of our people. In the digital realm, this entails providing users with the necessary knowledge to navigate the hazards of the online world,” the letter emphasized. “We must equip parents with the resources they need to effectively monitor and comprehend their children’s digital lives without jeopardizing their futures.”
In March, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) directed a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging her to mandate the divestiture of TikTok from ByteDance. These lawmakers highlighted past instances where the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) had compelled the sale of stakes in companies such as Grindr and PatientsLikeMe to address national security concerns during the previous administration.
ByteDance had previously admitted to engaging in surveillance of journalists and other individuals, with the intent of unmasking the sources behind critical articles about the company. This disclosure corroborated an earlier investigative report by Forbes, which had raised concerns about ByteDance’s alleged intent to monitor specific individuals within the United States.
Responding to the divestiture order issued earlier in the year, which seems to have had limited enforcement, TikTok’s spokesperson, Brooke Oberwetter, contended that it would not “adequately address the underlying problem” of safeguarding national security since “a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access.”
In addition to the potential national security threat, certain legislators have also highlighted TikTok’s censorship tactics and alleged that the company grants members of the Chinese Communist Party access to user data. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee two months ago, echoing similar sentiments by asserting that a forced sale of TikTok to an American corporation would not effectively resolve these concerns.
“I am acutely aware that apprehensions have arisen due to the fact that ByteDance has Chinese founders, giving rise to concerns that our platform could be exploited as a tool of China or the Chinese Communist Party,” the CEO acknowledged. “However, a change in ownership would not impose any new constraints