US Lawmakers John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi Lead Effort Against TikTok’s Chinese Ownership
Washington, DC [US], August 4: Members of the US-based Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP) have filed an amicus curiae brief in the TikTok vs Garland case. The brief urges authorities to address the threat posed by Chinese ownership of the social media platform TikTok.
Over 50 lawmakers have come together in a bipartisan effort to defend the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACAA). This act aims to protect Americans from foreign adversary-controlled applications that pose a national security threat.
The brief, led by US lawmakers John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi, highlights the need for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either sell its US operations or face a total ban. ByteDance, a Chinese company, has been accused of stealing data from its 170 million US users.
The brief states that foreign adversary-controlled applications should not be allowed to access application stores or web hosting services in the US. It also mentions that companies controlled by North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran must divest themselves of such control or face restrictions in the US.
The SCCCP and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have held numerous briefings and hearings on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through TikTok. Experts, including the Director of the FBI, have testified about the national security risks associated with TikTok.
The Foundation of Defence of Democracies (FDD) also filed a similar brief, detailing how TikTok’s ownership structure allows the CCP to infiltrate the company and access sensitive information from Americans. This includes data about children, viewers of LGBTQ+ material, and personal information like driver’s licenses.
India was one of the first countries to ban TikTok due to security concerns, followed by Nepal and several other countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, and Norway.
Doubts Revealed
US Lawmakers -: US lawmakers are people who make laws in the United States. They are like the members of the Parliament in India.
John Moolenaar -: John Moolenaar is a politician in the United States. He helps make laws and represents people from his area.
Raja Krishnamoorthi -: Raja Krishnamoorthi is another politician in the United States. He also helps make laws and represents people from his area.
Bipartisan -: Bipartisan means that people from two different political parties are working together. In the US, these parties are usually the Democrats and the Republicans.
Amicus curiae brief -: An amicus curiae brief is a document that someone who is not part of a case can file to offer information or advice to the court. It means ‘friend of the court’ in Latin.
TikTok vs Garland case -: This is a legal case where TikTok is involved in a dispute with someone named Garland. Garland is likely a government official.
Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act -: This is a law that aims to protect people in the US from apps controlled by foreign countries that might be harmful.
ByteDance -: ByteDance is a company from China that owns TikTok. They make and manage the app.
Divest -: Divest means to sell off or get rid of something. In this case, it means ByteDance should sell its US operations of TikTok.
National security threats -: National security threats are dangers to a country’s safety and well-being. These can come from other countries or groups.
Foreign adversary-controlled applications -: These are apps that are controlled by countries that might not be friendly or safe for another country. They could be used to spy or cause harm.
TikTok bans -: TikTok bans mean that the app is not allowed to be used in certain countries. India and Nepal are examples of countries that have banned TikTok.
