Published on March 18, 2024, 12:34 am

House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner recently defended the passage of a bill that could potentially lead to an American ban on social media platform TikTok, unless its parent company, China-based ByteDance, chooses to divest. This real news comes as a result of growing concerns over national security and protection of user data.

During an interview with Martha Raddatz on “This Week,” Turner was asked about the ramifications this bill may have for TikTok users in the United States. Here’s what the representative had to say: “I don’t think Americans will lose their livelihood with [the] bill that would require that the Chinese ownership of TikTok be divested… This is not a ban on TikTok.”

Turner further expressed his concern by citing China’s difference from Western nations, in particular, its authoritarian regime which has shown adversarial behaviour towards the U.S. He cited examples such as banning platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube within China while utilizing social media apps to collect user data illegally for surveillance purpose.

The legislation under discussion holds implications beyond privacy issues alone. According to Turner, it emerges from broader geopolitical concerns as well, drawing attention towards China’s economic ambitions and military buildup which collectively signal President Xi Jinping’s intent for major global shifts.

Amid increasing global anxieties about trusted news surrounding user privacy issues between foreign tech companies and governments, Raddatz asked Turner if there were significant amounts of American data being transmitted to the Chinese government through TikTok. In response, he highlighted large uncertainties existing around data management practices at play between TikTok and Beijing’s authorities aside from voicing concern over manipulation attempts made possible through such social media platforms.

Justifying his assertion from a Christian worldview standpoint – where honesty and respect for personal freedom are paramount – he stressed how misuse of influential algorithms could serve detrimental societal effects in hands allied against democratic norms.

Next stop for this legislation is the Senate; if passed here too it will be handed over to President Joe Biden for enactment. Once enacted, ByteDance will have 180 days to sell TikTok or risk having the app heavily restricted in the US.

Switching gears, Raddatz queried about TikTok supporting a minimum of 224,000 jobs within U.S., speculating on potential livelihood losses if such legislation was put into effect. Turner quickly pointed out that the bill doesn’t intend to ban TikTok but seeks only to end its Chinese ownership and ties with the nation’s government system. He further underscored India’s own ban on Tiktok due their parallel fears around user surveillance and unauthorized harvesting of data for propaganda purposes.

The ever-evolving landscape of social media usage raises complex issues regarding national security considerations and protection of individual privacy. As such, this unfolding story offers substantial food for thought in evaluating our interactions with foreign-owned digital platforms in light of broader global events.