{"id":2196230,"date":"2024-03-11T07:20:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T11:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-must-hold-firm-against-tiktoks-legion-of-lobbyists-and-cut-off-chinese-espionage\/"},"modified":"2024-03-11T07:21:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T11:21:43","slug":"congress-must-hold-firm-against-tiktoks-legion-of-lobbyists-and-cut-off-chinese-espionage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-must-hold-firm-against-tiktoks-legion-of-lobbyists-and-cut-off-chinese-espionage\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress must stand strong against TikTok&#8217;s army of lobbyists and take decisive action to counter Chinese espionage"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcongress-must-hold-firm-against-tiktoks-legion-of-lobbyists-and-cut-off-chinese-espionage%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2196230&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Congress Takes Action to Hold\u2064 TikTok Accountable<\/h2>\n<p>Congress is finally doing something\u2062 that many Americans have been waiting for, holding TikTok accountable for their relationship to the People\u2019s \u200dRepublic of China. Legislators from both sides of the aisle are coming together to\u200c solve \u2062this unique\u2062 challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, the \u200dchairman of the Chinese Communist Party Select Committee, Rep. Mike\u2064 Gallagher, R-Wis., and \u200da bipartisan coalition\u2063 introduced HR 7521,\u200b the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. This legislation would require ByteDance, the CCP-controlled parent company, to divest TikTok over stark revelations of \u200chow the app is used for espionage \u200cby the Chinese\u200d government.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond \u2063the arduous machinations of the lawmaking process, it is clear ByteDance\u2064 will not give up easily. They have accumulated a legion \u200bof high-priced\u200b lobbyists,\u2064 megadonors, and D.C. insiders who will be out in force, pressuring members with every \u200ctrick in \u2064the book. It was no doubt one of these lobbyists who activated TikTok\u2019s \u2062virtual mob, and no doubt they\u2064 continue to call and intimidate\u200d members of Congress.<\/p>\n<p>One TikTok-stan hard at \u2063work has been\u200d Republican megadonor \u200band\u200c ByteDance investor Jeffrey \u2063Yass, who reportedly has a \u200d$33\u200c billion \u2063stake in the Chinese\u200c company. As reported by The Wall\u2062 Street Journal, he has used his wealth and influence in Republican circles to direct politicians and conservative\u200b groups who had previously opposed the Trump administration\u2019s successful banning of Huawei, ZTE, or China Telecom, to suddenly be pearl-clutching in defense of TikTok. In fact, \u2062the New York Post reported he \u2064was \u201cbullying\u201d\u200d Republican members to oppose the divestiture proposal.<\/p>\n<p>It\u200d is clear\u200b TikTok\u2019s overlords \u2064are feeling\u2064 the heat, \u200cunleashing an\u2064 army of users on members\u200b of Congress. The \u2064app activated depressed teenagers to endlessly call their\u2064 members \u200dof Congress\u200b in defense of the app. For several hours\u2062 on Thursday, there were numerous reports of these TikTok \u200cdefenders making death threats \u200cand callers suggesting they would kill themselves if the app \u2062goes away. In \u2064many ways, \u2062these uninformed users proved the app is essentially\u2062 a propaganda arm \u2063of the \u2062CCP.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike previous efforts to rein \u200din \u2062TikTok,\u2064 this has a real chance of success. The proposal has the right \u2064balance of mitigating real\u2063 harm \u200dwithout setting off tripwires that stalled previous attempts. \u2063Instead of banning the app, it sets a 180-day deadline for TikTok to be\u200d divested from control by the foreign adversary. If this does not happen, then \u200dAmerican entities such as app stores and cloud services would not be \u200dable to service\u2064 the Chinese-controlled\u200b platform. \u200bIt\u2019s narrowly written to \u200caddress the specific concerns about TikTok and\u2064 similar entities\u200c that \u2064are controlled by foreign adversaries.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1741952811\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-4454cd8fe671a0413a284673e4cbeb03 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-4454cd8fe671a0413a284673e4cbeb03\"><\/div>\n<p>Let\u2019s be clear: This\u200d effort is \u200cabout the conduct of TikTok\u2062 and its Chinese overlords. This is not\u2062 about\u2063 the content on\u2064 the platform. While I am not a \u200bfan of many of \u200cthe videos \u2063or\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/big-tech-including-microsoft-is-out-to-get-conservatives-jim-jordan-slams-democrats-for-shielding-microsoft-from-antitrust-scrutiny\/\" title=\"\u2018Big Tech, Including Microsoft, Is Out To Get Conservatives\u2019: Jim Jordan Slams Democrats For Shielding Microsoft From \u2018Antitrust Scrutiny\u2019\">content moderation decisions made<\/a> by the app,\u2062 that\u2062 is a separate issue.<\/p>\n<p>As FCC Commissioner\u200d Brendan Carr explained\u2063 in a recent X thread, \u201cThe First Amendment does\u200c not protect espionage.\u201d\u200b Just because people use the\u200b app to express\u2064 themselves \u2062does not mean the existential national security\u2064 threat should be \u2062allowed to \u200ccontinue \u200bdoing business. Even without the\u2062 classified\u2062 briefings \u2063Congress is privy\u200d to, we know the myriad reports \u200cthat have dripped out almost weekly\u200b detailing how TikTok has lied to the American people, has been \u200din breach of U.S. \u2063law, and \u2063is being used as a weapon \u2062by the Chinese Communist Party against free people.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, step one in this legislative process was accomplished when the House Energy and Commerce \u2062Committee, led \u2064by Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., deftly navigated the process of marking up the legislation\u2063 and received unanimous support. This was followed up by Majority Leader Steve Scalise,\u200b R-La., making clear they would bring the\u200b bill to the House Floor as early as this week.<\/p>\n<p>While these are\u200d good\u200c signs for potential success, advocates \u200dfor \u200dan internet free of Chinese surveillance are in for a long journey. The\u2064 legislation still has to see action in the Senate and receive a signature from the White House,\u2062 which has already \u2064indicated\u200d Biden would sign the\u2062 proposal.<\/p>\n<p>It will be \u2062tempting \u2062for many politicians to give \u200bin to the mounting \u200dpressure and change their tune on this bill. The next few weeks \u2064will\u200c be critical for \u2062the proposal\u2019s future. As anyone with cable news will tell you, with a 24-hour news cycle, it \u200bis very\u2062 easy for politicians to do \u200cnothing or to move \u200bon to the debate.<\/p>\n<p>As the lobbying \u2063game intensifies, pressure falls on members \u200din both chambers to stay focused \u2062and move \u2062this legislation toward\u2063 passage. Now\u200d is the time for Congress to stand firm against these mounting external pressures, prioritizing the security and sovereignty of Americans in the digital age.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2ee5fa10acada3517ad6c12d19845dea fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2ee5fa10acada3517ad6c12d19845dea\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What tactics are ByteDance, TikTok&#8217;s parent company,\u200c and its network of lobbyists using to pressure members of Congress\u2063 and defend TikTok\u200d against divestiture efforts<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Dislike certain content on TikTok does not mean it should be allowed\u2064 to continue with its\u2062 alleged espionage\u2063 activities. It is crucial to address the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senator-blasts-biden-for-halting-wall-construction-paying-contractors-billions-to-babysit-metal\/\" title=\"GOP Senator Blasts Biden For Halting Wall Construction: Paying Contractors Billions To \u2018Babysit Metal\u2019\">national security concerns posed<\/a> by\u200b the app and its connection to the Chinese government.<\/p>\n<p>The introduction of\u200d HR 7521, \u200cthe Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, by\u2064 a bipartisan coalition is a significant step towards holding TikTok accountable. The bill aims \u2064to \u2064require ByteDance, TikTok&#8217;s parent company controlled by the Chinese \u2062Communist Party, to\u2063 divest its ownership of the app due to revelations of its use for espionage by the Chinese government.<\/p>\n<p>However, ByteDance is\u2062 not likely to give up\u2063 easily. The company has an extensive \u200bnetwork\u200b of lobbyists, megadonors, and D.C. insiders who will use all means at their disposal to pressure members \u200cof Congress. It is evident\u200b that some\u200d of \u200bthese lobbyists \u2064were responsible for activating TikTok&#8217;s virtual\u200b mob, which has reportedly\u200c engaged\u200d in calling and intimidating members\u200b of Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Jeffrey Yass, a Republican\u200d megadonor and investor in ByteDance, has\u2063 allegedly used his wealth and influence to direct politicians and conservative groups to defend TikTok. This sudden change in stance from individuals who had previously opposed the banning of \u2063other Chinese companies indicates their manipulation \u200bby ByteDance and\u200b its lobbyists.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, TikTok&#8217;s response to the proposed divestiture has been \u2064concerning. The app has\u200b mobilized its users, including depressed teenagers, to bombard members of Congress\u200d with calls and even make death threats. This behavior highlights the control TikTok\u2062 has over its user\u200d base and raises questions about its ties\u200c to the Chinese Communist \u2063Party.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike previous attempts to regulate TikTok, HR 7521\u200d has a genuine \u2062chance\u2063 of success. The proposal \u200cstrikes a balance between mitigating the harm caused \u200dby TikTok&#8217;s activities and avoiding unnecessary obstacles that hindered previous efforts. Instead of\u200d an outright ban, the bill provides a 180-day deadline for\u200c TikTok to be divested from the control of a foreign adversary. Failure to comply would result\u200b in American entities,\u200d such as app stores and cloud services, being unable to\u2064 service the Chinese-controlled platform. This focused approach addresses the specific concerns related \u200dto TikTok and \u200dsimilar\u200c entities \u2062controlled by foreign adversaries.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial to emphasize that this legislation is not an attack on free speech or content moderation. The concern \u2063lies solely with \u2064TikTok&#8217;s conduct and its relationship with the Chinese government. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr aptly stated that the \u200dFirst Amendment does not\u200b protect\u2062 espionage. National security interests\u2064 should always take precedence over the content generated on an app.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the\u200d actions\u200b taken by Congress to hold TikTok accountable for its relationship with the Chinese government are commendable. HR 7521 is a carefully \u200bcrafted proposal that aims to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senior-intelligence-official-warns-of-tiktoks-influence-on-us-citizens\/\" title=\"Senior Intelligence Official Warns of TikTok\u2019s Influence on US Citizens\">address national security concerns<\/a> without infringing on\u200d free speech. It is \u2062essential for \u2063lawmakers to prioritize the\u2062 protection\u2063 of American interests and ensure that foreign-controlled apps like TikTok do not compromise the nation&#8217;s security and privacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Other members of Congress introduced the &#8220;TikTok Accountability and Data Transparency Act.&#8221; This bipartisan effort aims to address concerns about the popular social media app&#8217;s ties to China and protect American users&#8217; data. It is a significant step towards ensuring the security and privacy of TikTok users in the United States<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2549,"featured_media":2196231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/tiktok.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2196230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/tiktok.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2196230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2549"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2196230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2196230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2196231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2196230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2196230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2196230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}