Tipton Calls for Banning Tiktok on Government Devices to Prevent Spying by China

Press Release

Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) cosponsored legislation to ban the download of the popular TikTok app on government devices. Like many social media apps, TikTok collects large amounts of personal data from users and requires access to contacts, location data, the cameras and the microphone on a user's device. The relationship between TikTok's parent company and China's Communist Party (CCP) has risen red flags for intelligence agencies and Congress. Tipton, who has repeatedly called out the regime's long lists of human rights abuse, intellectual property theft and corruption, released the following statement upon introduction of the bill:

"TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, has openly worked with the CCP to distribute propaganda and censor content the regime finds threatening such as the Hong Kong freedom demonstrators--a complete violation of freedoms the regime falsely says it protects. Now, the US intelligence community continues to investigate TikTok amidst reports that the company is transferring sensitive information from US users to the Chinese Government. It is critically important that this app not be allowed on government devices where it can provide an easy avenue for the CCP to spy. This bill is an important effort to keep Chinese intelligence out of American government and protect the national security interests of the American people."

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