‘A National Security Concern’: Top Democrat Senator Calls For China’s TikTok To Be Banned In U.S.

Senate Intel Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), on Sunday demanded that TikTok be banned in America. He said the company is a national security risk.

Warner made the comments during an interview on ABC News with Martha Raddatz “This Week” While discussing the communist country.

“National security is not simply about guns and ships and tanks anymore. It is about technology competition. It’s about who’s going to win the struggle around artificial intelligence, quantum computing, synthetic biology,” Warner said. “It’s one of the reasons why I put together a bipartisan piece of legislation, seven Democrats, seven Republicans, the president supports and I’ve got interest from the Speaker on making sure Chinese and other technology companies that pose national security risks like TikTok, that we give the Secretary of Commerce the tools to either require a divesture or frankly even ban them.”

“And just very quickly, do you think TikTok should be banned?” Raddatz asked.

“Absolutely,” Warner responded. “Literally 100 million Americans are on TikTok an average of 90 minutes a day. That data is residing in China no matter what TikTok says, and the truth is TikTok can be used as a propaganda mechanism for the Communist Party of China. That I believe is a national security concern.”

“What we don’t — what we don’t — what we need though is a rules-based approach that doesn’t simply single out a single application because it was Huawei, the Chinese telecom company earlier, TikTok today. There will be other technology applications,” He added. “We need a rules-based approach that will look at this foreign-based technology from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and we’ve got to have the tools to make sure that we can take them down.”

WATCH:

.@MarthaRaddatz: “Do you think TikTok should be banned?”

Mark Warner is the chair of Senate Intelligence Committee. “Absolutely…TikTok can be used as a propaganda mechanism for the Community Party of China. That, I believe, is a national security concern.” https://t.co/KNf4mVLxyB pic.twitter.com/uYviCys2y2

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 12, 2023

TRANSCRIPT:

MARTHA RADDATZ

What are your concerns about China’s relationship?

SEN. MARK WATER (D-VA),: We should be worried. China and we are in intense competition. We had all of the intelligence leaders present to our committee this week, which was a national security issue.

National security does not just concern guns, ships, and tanks. It’s all about technology rivalry. It’s all about who wins the fight for artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

It’s why I’ve put together a bipartisan piece, seven Democrats, seven Republicans. The president supports it. I also got interest from the speaker to make sure that Chinese and other tech companies pose national security threats like TikTok. We give the secretary for commerce the tools to either require or ban them.

TikTok has been banned in India. We have seen the EU and the Canadian government urge that this be removed from their phones.

China is a technology competitor to us and has been stealing our intellectual property at a rate of $500 billion per year. We should be worried.

China is a great nation. Our beef is the communist party. It’s not with Chinese people. But Xi Jinping should not be underestimated for his aggressiveness as well as his authoritarian rule.

RADDATZ

WARNER: Absolutely. I, you know, this is a — literally 100 million Americans are on TikTok an average of 90 minutes a day. All of this data is stored in China, regardless of what TikTok may claim. And the truth is TikTok could be used as propaganda for the Communist Party of China. This is a national security issue.

What we don’t — what we don’t — what we need though is a rules-based approach that doesn’t simply single out a single application because it was Huawei, the Chinese telecom company earlier, TikTok today. There will be more technology applications.

We need a rules-based approach that will look at this foreign-based technology from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and say —

RADDATZ: Okay, thanks, Senator.

WARNER: — we’ve got to have the tools to make sure that we can take them down.

RADDATZ: Okay. Senator, thank you so much for joining us today.

WARNER – Thank you.

“From ‘A National Security Concern’: Top Democrat Senator Calls For China’s TikTok To Be Banned In U.S.“

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