United States: The legislative body voted on Wednesday to bar TikTok from being acquired by its Chinese parent entity.
The legislative assembly endorsed HR 7521, known as the Act to Safeguard Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications, with a vote count of 352-61-1. The considerable opposition from both sides of the aisle, with 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans opposing the legislation, underscores the broad bipartisan consensus on mitigating the perceived threat posed by TikTok to national security.
There was a schism among members of the Republican party regarding the TikTok legislation that came up for a vote. While some expressed concerns about the potential national security implications of permitting millions of Americans to utilize an app owned by a Chinese entity, others fretted that banning the app would consolidate power in the hands of major tech conglomerates such as Google and Facebook.
In his acclaimed publication “Blood Money: Why the Powerful Turn a Blind Eye While China Kills Americans,” Breitbart News senior contributor and GAI President Peter Schweizer unveiled classified military journal entries illustrating how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views the app as a tool for psychological warfare directly targeted at the youth of America.
Colonel Dai Xu, a professor at China’s preeminent military institution, the People’s Liberation Army National Defense University (PLA-NDU), penned in one of these restricted journals that the true battleground between the United States and China is an “information-driven mental warfare,” likening apps like TikTok and social media platforms to a “modern-day Trojan Horse.”
Key figures in the entertainment industry, such as Jimmy Fallon, who promoted TikTok on television without disclosing ties to a Chinese company seeking to bolster interest in the app, played a pivotal role in the app’s rapid ascent to prominence.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) asserted, “TikTok is a CCP espionage tool. Plain and simple. House Republicans have just passed a bipartisan bill safeguarding American data, sending a clear message: TikTok must sever its connections with the CCP or face expulsion from the American market.”
Conversely, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) emphasized, “Address the right issue. Privacy. Surveillance. Content moderation. Who controls #TikTok? 60% investors, including Americans, 20% +7,000 employees, including Americans, and 20% founders: CEO & headquarters in Singapore. Data stored in Texas under Oracle. What changes with ownership? I will be voting against.”
There is now a more receptive attitude among several supporters of the former president towards TikTok.
“In eliminating TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck would see their business double,” stated Trump in a post on Truth Social.
“I do not wish for Facebook, which engaged in electoral fraud in the previous election, to thrive. They are genuine adversaries of the populace,” the 45th president declared.
Following a recent meeting with Trump, Elon Musk concurred with his endorsement of TikTok in a tweet, and former presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy has become more open to the app. Tucker Carlson has also become a member of the platform.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) remarked, “It is probable that we will consider their bill and propose amendments, identifying areas where we believe improvements can be made. My concern is that tackling this issue by name is akin to playing a game of Whack a Mole because what is TikTok today may be TokTik or TicTak next week, or whatever.”
“We adopt a gradual approach here, and these things take time,” he added.
TIt’s hard to predict the Senate approving the TikTok measure. As it stands now, there likely aren’t enough votes. For a bill to pass, sixty Senators have to back it. When reporters asked about voting on this soon, Senator Chuck Schumer wouldn’t commit.
Gaining Senate approval seems uncertain right now. Sixty votes are needed, and the current proposal may struggle. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, was noncommittal when questioned about holding a quick vote.
Whether the TikTok measure clears the Senate is uncertain in its current form. Reaching that crucial sixty-vote threshold looks challenging. Senator Schumer didn’t firmly commit to bringing it up for a vote anytime soon when asked.
“I will need to confer, and indeed, intend to confer, with the relevant committee chairpersons to ascertain their perspectives,” he stated.