Staff Reports
The Chinese Embassy recently met with congressional staff behind closed doors to talk about a bill involving TikTok, a popular social media app. The bill would make TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sell the app or have it banned in the U.S. The House passed the bill in March, but it’s facing delays in the Senate.
Some people worry that TikTok might be sharing American users’ data with the Chinese government. A former ByteDance employee claimed that there are Chinese Communist Party members with access to users’ data. The app has denied any connection to the CCP, but a study found that it promotes content in line with the CCP’s views.
Chinese Embassy Reportedly Lobbied Directly Against TikTok Bill On Capitol Hill https://t.co/ysbflepTdm
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 18, 2024
Michael Sobolik, who studies Indo-Pacific issues, said that Chinese diplomats unintentionally showed how important TikTok is to the Chinese government by trying to protect it. The Chinese Embassy downplayed concerns about national security during the meetings and argued against forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok. They also referred to TikTok as a Chinese company, which goes against TikTok’s efforts to distance itself from China.
TikTok disagreed with the report about the embassy meetings. The Chinese Embassy did not deny the meetings happened and said they wanted to share the truth about the TikTok situation with Americans. This isn’t the first time the Chinese Embassy has gotten involved in fighting against U.S. policies, as they did with Huawei, another Chinese tech company.
It’s important for Americans to be cautious about the information they share on social media platforms like TikTok, especially considering potential ties to foreign governments. The government should take any necessary steps to protect national security and American interests.
