Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas accused TikTok of “pushing pro-Hamas propaganda” Wednesday as the House of Representatives considers legislation that could force the social media app’s Chinese owners to sell it.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, Thursday in a 50-0 vote. Cruz said the app, owned by ByteDance, has the ability to carry out espionage and surveillance for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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“TikTok is controlled by the Chinese Communist government,” Cruz told “Squawk Box” host Joe Kernen. “It has 170 million users in the United States and it gives the Chinese government the ability to monitor number one, what they’re saying, number two, their physical location using GPS, number three, potentially what they’re searching for and what they’re doing with their phone. All of that is concerning. We also know that China has used it to target journalists in particular, going after them on TikTok. That’s one set of concerns.”
Cruz also noted propaganda has gone viral on TikTok, including reactions to Osama bin Laden’s letter to the United States justifying the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, that toppled the World Trade Center and hit the Pentagon.
“A second set of concerns is the propaganda that the Chinese government pushes on TikTok, and pushes on particular kids, and I think it is deeply, deeply harmful,” Cruz said. “You know, you look right now at the Israel-Hamas war that is unfolding. Every age cohort of Americans when asked who’s in the right, who do you side with? Overwhelmingly, Americans side with Israel except for one age cohort, and that is 18 to 29.”
“We see TikTok in particular pushing pro-Hamas propaganda,” Cruz added. “I think it is deliberate. I think that is designed by the Chinese government. And so I’m glad the House is acting to — to address what I think are very serious risks.”
The House will vote on the bill to force ByteDance to sell TikTok on Wednesday.
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