Even the reliably liberal NPR is suddenly starting to sound Trumpian on this issue, noting that “there are concerns about China’s ruling Communist Party using this broad authority to gather sensitive intellectual property, proprietary commercial secrets and personal data.”
None of this is new. In 2019, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton
wrote a bipartisan letter to intelligence officials saying they should investigate TikTok’s national security risks. In 2020, the Defense Department recommended that military personnel delete the app, and several military branches
banned it. Trump tried to get the service banned in the U.S. or force its sale to a U.S. company.
But instead of listening to these concerns, President Joe Biden has been playing footsie with TikTok to score political advantages.
In fact, just weeks before Wray and Warner raised the threat level, Biden brought TikTok “influencers” into the White House to enlist them to help Democrats avoid defeat in the midterm elections.
Rob Flaherty, the White House director of digital strategy, told the Washington Post that “we know people listen to trusted messengers, and as an increasing number of young people turn to Instagram, TikTok and other platforms for news and information, we need to engage with the voices they trust directly.”
A growing chorus warns about TikTok while Biden canoodles with its “influencers.”
issuesinsights.com