Republican Senators Marco Rubio (FL) and Joni Ernst (IA) introduced new legislation on Friday that would deny federal funding to these undertaking company with TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform.
The Contradictory Propaganda Enabling Fund Act would ban federal funding for men and women and entities that have agreements, partnerships or marketing with social media businesses linked to foreign adversaries — which incorporate China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.
BIDEN’S TIKTOK REDEEMING TIME BOMB
“Chinese-owned TikTok is a threat, but some entities, which includes our nation’s airports, are nevertheless prepared to accept marketing dollars from the enterprise,” Rubio mentioned in a statement. “They are either naive, greedy or each.” Regardless, they should not be getting taxpayer dollars if they want to accept income from or companion with TikTok. These businesses ought to quit enabling the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda and espionage efforts.
The bill comes days just before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is anticipated to testify just before the Power and Commerce Committee, exactly where he will go over the social media app’s privacy and safety practices.
The app’s ties to the Chinese government continue to raise issues amongst US government officials who say TikTok could exploit its collection of user information. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified final week to the Senate Intelligence Committee that the app could be utilized to spread disinformation.
“This is a tool that is eventually beneath the manage of the Chinese government, and it screams national safety issues to me,” Ray mentioned.
The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok in the United States unless its Chinese owners agree to sell their stake in the enterprise. Earlier this year, the White Home ordered all federal agencies to get rid of TikTok from government-issued devices due to national safety issues. TikTok and the Biden administration have been negotiating information safety needs for a lot more than two years, but some lawmakers are increasing impatient.
A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill final Tuesday that would give the federal government broader powers to regulate and ban foreign-associated technologies, which was later backed by the White Home.
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In addition to the Senate bill, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and his counterpart on the China Choose Committee, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-VI), introduced legislation to ban the app outright alongside a bill from Home Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McColla (R-TKS).
In mid-February, Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Rubio have introduced legislation to ban social media platforms like TikTok if they are owned by hostile foreign regimes.