A TikTok Stunt Motivates Lawmakers to Take on the App
Live Mintlawmakers are mounting their most serious attempt to effectively either ban popular video app TikTok or separate it from its Chinese owner, advancing a bill that has more political momentum than previous attempts. “I think TikTok made our case for us today," said Rep. Bob Latta, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce’s panel on communications and technology. “The Administration has worked with Members of Congress from both parties to arrive at a durable legislative solution that would address the threat of technology services operating in the United States in a way that poses risks to Americans’ sensitive data and our broader national security," a spokesman for the National Security Council said in a statement Thursday. In the Senate, the bill will likely find its way to the Senate Commerce Committee, where Chair Maria Cantwell said late Thursday that she is concerned about “foreign adversaries’ exploitation of Americans’ sensitive data and their attempts to build backdoors in our information communication technology and services supply chains.’’ Later, she said “there are some issues" with this specific bill.