House China Committee Chairman criticizes Biden Campaign for joining TikTok, deeming it “unacceptable
Rep. Mike Gallagher Slams Biden Campaign for TikTok Account
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, strongly criticized President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign for launching a TikTok account over the weekend.
“If we continue down this path, we will effectively surrender control of our news media to a hostile foreign country,” Gallagher expressed during a Tuesday interview on Fox News, referring to longstanding concerns in the United States about the CCP potentially accessing and exploiting American users’ Internet data.
Biden’s team released their first video under the username @bidenhq on TikTok, the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform, during the Super Bowl on Sunday. However, Biden has already signed legislation prohibiting the use of TikTok on all federal government devices since late 2022 due to national security concerns.
“So here you have Biden’s handpicked advisers telling him that this is effectively a CCP tool or weapon, yet he’s disregarding that,” Gallagher said. “Why? To appeal to anti-Semitic 18-year-olds and gain progressive clicks during the campaign season.”
“That’s unacceptable,” added the Wisconsin Republican. “I urge the president’s Gen Z TikTok adult campaign staffers to reconsider their actions in the interest of national security.”
Gallagher also mentioned India’s decision in June 2020 to ban TikTok, highlighting that “it wasn’t the end of the world in India” after the ban. “They have a thriving tech and social media ecosystem [in India],” he stated. “And I believe we should do the same, whether it’s through a ban, sale, or separation.”
Gallagher’s remarks followed Sen. Mark Warner’s (D., Va.) concerns about the Biden campaign’s embrace of TikTok. The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee warned that it could send a “mixed message” and emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party not only gains access to the data but also potentially influences the algorithms determining what users see.
What are the potential national security risks associated with users’ data on social media platforms like TikTok?
Iting user data on social media platforms such as TikTok.
Gallagher’s remarks come after the Biden campaign launched its official TikTok account on Sunday, aimed at targeting a younger demographic. The move has raised eyebrows and sparked concerns over potential national security risks associated with TikTok, considering its Chinese ownership.
Since its creation in 2016, TikTok has become immensely popular, particularly among teenagers and young adults. With over 100 million monthly active users in the United States alone, the app has become a cultural phenomenon and a platform for content creation and dissemination.
However, in recent years, TikTok has faced significant scrutiny due to its ties to China and concerns that the Chinese Communist Party could access user data and use the app as a tool for propaganda and surveillance. The Trump administration took strict measures against TikTok, arguing that it poses a threat to national security.
Gallagher, as the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has been at the forefront of efforts to address the potential risks posed by Chinese influence and technology. He has consistently called for greater scrutiny of Chinese-owned companies and their activities in the United States.
In his interview on Fox News, Gallagher expressed concerns that the Biden campaign’s decision to join TikTok would further enable the Chinese Communist Party’s access to American user data, potentially compromising national security.
“It’s deeply concerning that the Biden campaign is willingly engaging with an app that has clear ties to the Chinese Communist Party. This move not only puts the privacy and security of American users at risk but could also allow the CCP to propagate its propaganda and further its influence in our country,” Gallagher stated.
While the Biden campaign has defended its decision, arguing that it is simply adopting the same tactics as previous campaigns to reach voters, critics remain skeptical. They argue that the risks associated with TikTok are too significant to ignore and that political campaigns should prioritize national security over potential voter outreach.
The concerns raised by Gallagher and others highlight the ongoing debate over how to address the potential national security risks of Chinese-owned technology companies. While some argue for stricter regulations and greater transparency, others advocate for a complete ban on Chinese-owned apps and platforms.
As the Biden campaign’s TikTok account gains traction and users, the discussion around the risks and benefits of engaging with Chinese-owned platforms will undoubtedly continue. It remains to be seen whether the concerns raised by Gallagher and others will prompt a reevaluation of the Biden campaign’s TikTok strategy.
What is clear, however, is that the issue of Chinese influence and technology in the United States is a complex and multifaceted one that requires careful consideration and action. The decisions made in this regard will have far-reaching implications for national security, privacy, and the future of technology in America.
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