New Bill Demands TikTok to Sever Ties with CCP via Divestment, Confirms FCC Commissioner

A new bill has been introduced in the United States that demands TikTok sever ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or face a ban. The bill aims to protect national security by requiring TikTok to cut its connections with the CCP. This move has been praised by Brendan Carr, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who believes it is a smart way to mitigate TikTok’s security risks in the country.

The legislation grants the president the authority to force the sale of a tech company or social media platform if it is controlled by a foreign adversary and poses a real national security threat. This means that any individual, company, or entity not beholden to a foreign adversary can acquire TikTok and sever its ties with Beijing. It doesn’t have to be an American or Silicon Valley company.

If TikTok successfully cuts off its connections with the CCP through new ownership, it can continue operating in the United States. This is seen as a structural remedy, allowing millions of Americans who love TikTok to keep using it in a more secure manner. The bill is not focused on privacy laws or online child protection laws but is specifically aimed at protecting national security.

TikTok has come under scrutiny for its transfer of users’ data to Beijing. Although the company promised to wall off U.S. user data from the CCP, it was discovered that it continued to transfer sensitive user information to China. This is because TikTok is ultimately controlled by the CCP and cannot prevent data flows from going back to China. The two core issues with TikTok are espionage and foreign influence, which have been observed repeatedly.

On the surface, TikTok may seem like a fun app for sharing short videos, but it collects a tremendous amount of sensitive data on millions of Americans. This includes search and browsing history, keystroke patterns, biometrics, and location information. Despite claims that this data is not shared with Beijing, it is made available to TikTok and ByteDance employees in Beijing who are members of the CCP. This raises concerns about national security.

Apart from national security risks, TikTok’s impact on users’ mental health is also a concerning issue. The app’s algorithm functions differently from platforms like Facebook, and it has been found to show harmful content to young users, such as self-harm and eating disorder content. TikTok’s Chinese version, Douyin, shows educational material to children instead.

Some people are concerned that the CCP may not allow TikTok to sever its ties with communist China as the new bill requires. However, if TikTok operates independently as Beijing claims, the divestment process should be easy. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is privately held and owned by global institutional investors, its founders, and its employees. It is not owned or controlled by any government or state entity.

There are concerns that the Chinese regime could retaliate if ByteDance is forced to divest from TikTok or if the app faces a ban in the United States. However, American technology companies like Facebook and Twitter have already been banned in China, so this would not be unprecedented.

The bill does not target Americans’ right to exchange information on TikTok, which is protected by the Constitution. It specifically addresses the conduct of the service provider that poses a national security threat. However, there are concerns that the legislation’s provisions could intensify censorship and government control of social media platforms.

Overall, the new bill demanding TikTok sever ties with the CCP via divestment is seen as a smart move to protect national security in the United States. It allows Americans to continue using TikTok in a more secure manner while addressing the company’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party. The bill has raised concerns about censorship and government control but aims to prioritize national security over privacy concerns.