Spanberger Statement on U.S. House Vote to Force Divestiture of TikTok From Chinese-Owned Parent Company

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement after voting with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives to require that TikTok sever ties with its parent company, ByteDance, in order to continue to operate in the United States.

“As a former intelligence officer and current Member of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, I’ve long been aware of the national security threats posed by ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok and the risks to American users. The U.S. intelligence community has consistently warned that TikTok is a tool within control of the Chinese government — and the Chinese Communist Party is capable of using the app to undermine democratic elections, weaponize propaganda, and stifle free speech across the globe.

“As a Chinese-owned company, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is required to comply with the Chinese Communist Party’s surveillance demands — and it is required to comply with requests to turn over user data. TikTok’s ability to be exploited by the CCP’s influence and espionage campaigns is a serious threat.

“This bill is not an outright ban. If TikTok is going to be on the phones of Americans, then Congress must work to remove the influence of the Chinese Communist Party from the app — as this bill does through a forced divestiture. As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to protect the data of the American people and keep our country safe online.”

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