Published on February 14, 2024, 12:34 am

The Senate Democrat Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), has expressed concerns over President Biden’s reelection campaign’s use of Chinese social media platform TikTok. The comments came after the Biden campaign posted a video on TikTok attempting to show Biden in a quick-witted manner, which amassed 7.4 million views by Tuesday.

The video showcases off-screen prompts aimed at President Biden where he humorously and strategically responds to questions related to American football, illustrating his charming and relatable side. However, Senator Warner voiced concerns regarding the potential for data access and algorithm manipulation by the Chinese Communist Party through platforms such as TikTok. He underscored that his worry is centered around the message it sends when a presidential campaign utilizes such an app.

In order to grapple with technological threats from foreign adversaries, Senator Warner had previously collaborated with South Dakota GOP Senator John Thune last year to sponsor the RESTRICT Act. Their legislation seeks to broadly tackle the persistent threat posed by foreign tech by equipping the Department of Commerce with better control over reviewing, preventing, and mitigating information communications and technology transactions posing undue risks to national security.

Criticism was also received from other quarters following the TikTok video upload with Arkansas GOP Senator Tom Cotton labeling TikTok as a ‘spy app’ deployed by the Chinese Communist Party for pushing propaganda on American children and data theft. Similarly echoing sentiments were heard from Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst who highlighted how despite being banned across federal government devices due to security threats, Biden’s campaign chose to affiliate itself with this volatile platform.

Additionally, Florida GOP Senator Marco Rubio has repeatedly flagged warnings about TikTok and advocated for its banning. In an opinion piece last August, he cited instances where ByteDance was caught employing the social media app for spying on American journalists and storing Americans’ private details including device IDs, addresses, driver’s licenses in China thereby breaching safety norms substantially.

Rubio emphasized how TikTok is jeopardizing American companies by selling products more affordably via its app which, he alleges, would eventually favor Chinese sellers defeating the market for American goods.

In conclusion of his piece, Rubio warned that if TikTok users are under the presumption their sensitive data are safe and free from Beijing’s influence or coercion in the event of a geopolitical conflict, they need to reassess their beliefs. Hence, despite the popularity of platforms like TikTok among millions in America, real news and trusted news must take precedence when reflecting on potential risks such apps might pose from a national security perspective considering the Christian worldview.