Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill by a 352-65 vote that could force a federal ban on the popular social media platform TikTok if China-based owner ByteDance does not divest.
The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate.
During this week's broadcast of Alabama Public Television's "Capitol Journal," U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) discussed the need for Congress' proactive approach on dealing with the TikTok issue.
"As I mentioned in my press release, and you had mentioned it earlier to me, if you had thousands of spy balloons all over the United States, we would be very upset about what would be taking place," he said. "That's the concern for TikTok. I don't think any of us have a problem with TikTok, per se. I know that it is very popular, and while ... I'm not on TikTok, I know that a lot of people are. I think we need to some way to preserve it. But for this company to be tied in with the Chinese government and for them to have access to everybody's information, and I think you really need to be careful — people who are on TikTok probably don't read all the details when they allow their phone to access TikTok, what all that they're agreeing to and all of the information they're allowing TikTok to have."
"Again, in a normal circumstance, we know there are cookies that are used, and they use it to get certain information, but when this is going to the Chinese, and when it's going especially to the communist government, then I think there are some big red flags there," Aderholt added. "I think that's why we need to say 'TikTok, if you are going to continue as you are doing now, then you need to make sure that you divest from the Chinese Communist government and be totally owned here by a U.S. company.' If they're not willing to do that, then I think that's something that sends a real message that there is more to than what meets the eyes. Again, not banning TikTok, but saying the communist government can't have access to all the information that is received when you agree to participate in a TikTok app."
Jeff Poor is the editor in chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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