U.S. senators are asking the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information about TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, citing “grave risks” to U.S. national security.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shared a letter he co-wrote with Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) on We have called for the declassification of reporting on TikTok to better inform the public of the risks that the social media platform’s Chinese ownership poses to national security. ”
“We are demanding the declassification of facts about TikTok because the American people deserve and need to know the horrifying truth about TikTok, which is a clear and present threat to national security and privacy,” Democrats said in a tweet. This is because it is a threat.”
He added: “This is a weapon directed against the American people, and everyone should be clear about this.”
President Trump warns lawmakers that if they ban TikTok, users will flock to Facebook, the ‘worst’ platform
“We’re calling for the facts about TikTok to be declassified,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), “because the American people deserve and need to know the horrifying truth about TikTok. “This is a clear and present threat to national security and privacy.” (Yuri Dyatishin/AFP via Getty Images)
The lawmakers’ request comes after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution forcing Chinese-owned company ByteDance to leave China.
“U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials are bipartisan, warning that the Chinese government could use its direct and absolute control over ByteDance to negatively influence what users see on TikTok and spy on their personal information. “We have repeatedly warned that there is,” Blumenthal wrote.
“As we consider steps to separate TikTok from the Chinese government, Americans need to understand the national security issues at stake,” he continued. “We are requesting that information regarding TikTok/ByteDance be declassified.”
Bipartisan senators share concerns about TikTok after ‘strong’ national security briefing
The comments came days after a bipartisan group of senators sounded the alarm about TikTok and its influence over its users.
The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that could potentially ban TikTok in the US unless the social media’s Chinese parent company sells control. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
A group of lawmakers concluded a national security briefing on TikTok on Wednesday, expressing “deep concern” ahead of a Senate vote on the House-passed bill.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said, “There was a packed hearing room at the classified meeting, and there was deep concern on both sides of the aisle about the threat of TikTok.”
“The threat posed is grave,” he stressed.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chairman of the Intelligence Committee, similarly walked out of a “very high-powered meeting” demanding that the materials be quickly declassified.
“When this brief was presented to the Energy and Commerce Committee by the House side, I think there was a reason why they then voted 50-6 to advance the bill,” Warner said. Told.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, is calling for information about TikTok to be declassified. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Warner previously criticized TikTok, saying the vast amount of data it has access to from its users is a “national security concern.”
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It was not immediately clear how quickly the U.S. Senate could take up the House-passed bill, as the bill was referred to a committee last week.
FOX News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
