(LibertySociety.com) – After a fiery House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing with the CEO of TikTok, Shou Chew, some Democrat lawmakers are advocating for the platform over worries they will lose their grip over a developing left-leaning base that frequents the app. Representative Jamaal Bowman, who held a press conference outside the Capitol with TikTok influencers that were flown in by the company the day before the hearing, stated in an interview with NBC that, “It can harm us politically in 2024,” when referring to Democrats that are considering a nationwide ban of the app. He said he also thinks it would harm people’s well-being due to the place TikTok provides for people to be themselves.
Rep. Bowman also claimed in the interview that “there’s been no evidence” of national security concerns. Concerns among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been on the rise since the CEO of the company admitted that user data can be accessed by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which is tied to the Chinese Communist Party. FBI Director Christopher Wray also testified to Congress that the CCP could easily conduct foreign influence operations on the American people. Congress banned the use of the app on all government devices back in December 2022 with a provision added to the omnibus bill by Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has also expressed hesitance about the idea of a ban, suggesting she thinks it wouldn’t get to the heart of the problem. Representative Kat Cammack, R-Fla., ripped Rep. Ocasio-Cortez for opposing the possible ban, according to Fox News, stating that some legislators “are just thirsty for attention.” It is unclear what move Congress will make next, but the Biden administration has signaled support for a ban of the app nationwide, or a forced sale to an American company.
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