>> THE TIKTOK CEO IS TESTIFYING
FOR THE FIRST TIME ON CAPITOL
HILL TODAY AS THE CHINESE-OWNED
APP LOOKS TO AVOID BEING BANNED
IN THE UNITED STATES OVER
NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS.
LAWMAKERS SAY THE APP GIVES
CHINA UNFETTEREDDERRED ACCESS TO
THE PERSONAL DATA OF 150 MILLION
AMERICANS.
THAT’S ASTONISHING.
THEY BLASTED THE PLATFORM’S
LINKS TO CHINA.
>> WE DO NOT TRUST TIKTOK WILL
EVER EMBRACE AMERICAN VALUES.
TIKTOK HAS REPEATEDLY CHOSEN A
PATH FOR MORE CONTROL, MORE
SURVEILLANCE, AND MORE
MANIPULATION.
YOUR PLATFORM SHOULD BE BANNED.
>> I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS
THAT YOU HAVE RAISED, THAT WE
TAKE VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
THERE ARE MORE THAN 150 MILLION
AMERICANS WHO LOVE OUR PLATFORM.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THEM.
>> MEANWHILE LIBERAL SQUAD
MEMBER, CONGRESSIONAL BOWMAN OF
NEW YORK, IS SAYING CALLS TO BAN
TIKTOK IS RACIST.
>> WHY THE HYSTERIA AND THE
PANIC AND TARGETING OF TIKTOK?
AS WE KNOW, REPUBLICANS IN
PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN SOUNDING
THE ALARM, CREATING A RED SCARE
AROUND CHINA.
IT POSES ABOUT THE SAME THREAT
THAT COMPANIES LIKE FACEBOOK AND
INSTAGRAM.
LET’S NOT BE RACIST TOWARD CHINA
AND EXPRESS OUR ZEN PHOBIA WHEN
IT COMES TO TIKTOK, BECAUSE
AMERICAN COMPANIES HAVE DONE
TREMENDOUS HARM TO AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
>> HMM.
SO PROTECTING 150 MILLION
AMERICANS, THAT’S RACIST, JASON.
DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH THE FACT THAT 47% OF
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES USE TIKTOK
COMPARED TO 12% OF REPUBLICANS,
37% OF DEMOCRATS RUNNING IN THE
WHITE HOUSE COMPARED TO 11% OF
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS?
>> CONGRESSMAN BOWMAN AND OTHERS
NEED AN INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING,
BECAUSE EVERY INTELLIGENCE
APPARATUS WE HAVE SAYS NOT ONLY
ARE THEY USING THIS AS A SPYING
TOOL, BUT THEY ARE EMBEDDING
THEMSELVES INTO YOUR PHONE.
>> YEP.
>> ALL OF THE THINGS THEY’RE
EXTRACTING ON THAT.
THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE
AVERAGE AMERICAN SPENDS ON
TIKTOK IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
SO I WORRY IN THESE
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS.
I THINK MCMORRIS RODGERS HAD
GOOD QUESTIONING.
I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE THE
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO DECIPHER
WHAT THE TERMS OF SERVICE ALLOW
TIKTOK TO DO.
IF YOU’RE USING TIKTOK, OH, YOU
MAY LAUGH, GIGGLE, MAY BE A FUN
VIDEO, BUT YOU’RE USING IT AS A
TOOL THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND
EVERY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY,
REGARDLESS DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN,
TELLING US THIS IS THE CASE.
>> EXCEPT FOR JAMAL BOWMAN, I
GUESS.
JUST SO VIEWERS UNDERSTAND,
TIKTOK IS OWNED BY BYTEDANCE
WHICH HAS TO REPORT TO THE
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.
THEY’RE A CHINESE COMPANY.
THE CEO OF TIKTOK CAN SAY ALL HE
WANTS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY
HE REPORTS TO BYTEDANCE.
>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT’S WHAT VIEWERS NEED TO
UNDERSTAND.
DOESN’T MATTER WHAT SECURITY
LINKS THE CEO GOES TO,
EXPLAINING IT GOES THROUGH
ORACLE IN TEXAS, WHERE WE STORE
THE DATA.
ALL OF THE MICRO STEPS MEAN
NOTHING COMPARED TO THE LAW IN
CHINA WHICH STATES THAT EVERY
CITIZEN AND EVERY COMPANY HAS TO
COOPERATE WITH THE CCP AND SHARE
DATA.
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHATEVER
AMERICA SAYS, YOU NEED TO DIVEST
YOURSELF, STORE IT HERE.
NONE OF THAT MATTERS, BECAUSE
EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DATA THEY
ARE GLEANING FROM THERE, THEY
ARE GIVING TO THE CCP, AND
PRIORITIZING THAT INTEREST,
INCLUDING OVER FINANCIAL GAIN.
BOWMAN STANDS THERE FLANKED BY
30 INFLUENCERS THAT TIKTOK
ENLISTED THE HELP OF TO CURRY
FAVOR ON CAPITOL HILL RIGHT NOW.
WHAT A PATSY.
YOU LITERALLY CANNOT WRITE
SOMEONE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAT’S
SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE
CONSTITUTION AT OUR BEHEST.
I’D LIKE A REFUND OF HIS SALARY
FRANKLY.
IT WORRIES ME.
FOR THE KIDS, THE 8%, DISTRACT
AND REACT.
THEY DON’T CARE.
GIVE THEM THE NEXT APP.
THEY WILL BE JUST FINE.
>> TO THAT POINT, DEMOCRAT
HYPOCRISY, JOE BIDEN AGREED TO
APPEAR ON TIKTOK THIS WEEK,
WHILE HIS SPOKESPERSON SAYS TIKTOK IS A THREAT.
TIKTOK IS A THREAT.
OBAMA ON TIKTOK, BIDEN ON
TIKTOK, ADAM SCHIFF, STACEY
ABRAMS.
>> FIRST OF ALL, TIKTOK MAKES
YOU DUMB.
WE ALL KNOW THAT.
IT’S MAKING OUR COUNTRY DUMB.
IT’S VERY ADDICTIVE.
I SHARE YOUR OUTRAGE, EMILY AND
JASON.
I AGREE, I’M CONCERNED ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, TIKTOK COORDINATING
WITH THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
OF CHINA.
OUR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES ARE
DOING THAT, TOO, COORDINATING
WITH -- I’M JUST AS CONCERNED
ABOUT THE COORDINATION AND THE
COMPLICITY BETWEEN OUR BIG TECH,
SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES, AND THE
GOVERNMENT.
MAYBE WE NEED TO, ONE, GET OUR
OWN HOUSE IN ORDER, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
AND TWO, I THINK THAT I AM
CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEPRESSION.
IT IS DEFINITELY A PLOY BY THE
CHINESE TO GET OUR CHILDREN
ADDICTED TO PRESS.
>> NO DOUBT.
>> CONFUSED SEXUALLY.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE INDEED
HAPPENING.
WE ALSO NEED TO TALK ABOUT
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY.
>> AND AFFECT THE ELECTIONS.
NO DOUBT TWITTER HAS AFFECTED
ELECTIONS.
THINK ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN.
138 MILLION VOTING AGE
INDIVIDUALS ON TIKTOK WHO CCP
CAN INFLUENCE.
>> I AGREE WITH Y’ALL SAID, BUT
A LOT OF BUSINESSES, WHETHER YOU
BELIEVE THIS IS A NATIONAL
THREAT OR NOT, A LOT OF
BUSINESSES ARE USING TIKTOK,
RIGHTLY SO, TO CAPITALIZE,
RIGHT, BECAUSE WE HAVE
150 MILLION AMERICANS ON THE
APP.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
OUR STRATEGIES, OUR BUSINESS
STRATEGIES, OUR CONSUMERS,
EVERYTHING WE’RE DOING NOW, OUR
BIGGEST ENEMY HAS ACCESS TO.
SO I THINK FROM A BUSINESS
STANDPOINT, AS A BUSINESS OWNER,
I CAN UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE
USING SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT’S DEFINITELY AN AMAZING TOOL.
BUT I THINK THERE’S A BIGGER
ISSUE THERE.
I AGREE WITH YOU 100%.
I THINK IT’S DAMAGING TO OUR
CHILDREN.
IT’S CAUSING MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES.
AND I WANT MY SON TO HAVE ZERO
PART OF IT.
>> MY 14-YEAR-OLD DOESN’T HAVE A