Republicans continue to sound the alarm on TikTok, warning that it poses a national security threat. Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R), who was recently voted the third most effective Senator according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking, has already introduced formal legislation to ban the social media giant. Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R), who supports banning TikTok, argues that not banning the app could pose “long-term” repercussions.
Senator Rubio was voted the most effective Republican on International affairs and environmental issues. He continues to comment on the international repercussions regarding Tik Tok. Numerous Republicans have joined him in calling for the Biden Administration to answer the call.
Rep. Crenshaw recently voiced his opposition during a hearing, discussing the social media application and the national security threat he feels it poses. “You may not care that your data is being accessed now, but it will be one day when you do care about it,” Crenshaw warned.
“Here’s the real problem: with data comes power. They can see what you see and how you see it. They can make you believe things that are not true. They can encourage you to engage in behavior that will destroy your life. Even if it is not happening yet, it could in the future,” he explained.
Earlier this month, Senator Rubio highlighted the bipartisan and bicameral legislation the Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which bans Tik Tok.
According to Rubio, ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, is required by Chinese law to provide the application’s data to the Chinese Communist Party. Because of this, a bipartisan group of legislators deems the social media giant a risk to national security.
“The long-term goal of the Chinese Communist Party is the demise of the American power, and that starts with our youth. At any moment they could demand that… TikTok’s data be used to design an AI algorithm with the sole purpose of promoting Chinese interests and destroying our society from within. You want to know why Democrats and Republicans have come together on this? That’s why we are so concerned,” Crenshaw clarified during the hearing.
