House GOP Leaders Demand Action to Curb TikTok's Dangerous Data Practices

Statement

TikTok, a social media company owned by ByteDance, has told U.S. lawmakers it does not share U.S. data with officials in China. Yet, its own recent disclosure blows a hole in these misleading claims. On June 30, TikTok confirmed employees based in China can have access to U.S. user data. Furthermore, it acknowledged parent company ByteDance "may assist in developing algorithms." The Chinese government has taken a stake and a board seat in the key Chinese entity Beijing ByteDance Technology co. Ltd. It's no secret how China operates, and this disclosure is deeply troubling given the very real threat of U.S. user data falling in the hands of the CCP.

The U.S. government cannot allow this exploitative and malign behavior to continue. That is why today House Republican Committee leaders moved to demand answers from TikTok leadership and also call on the Biden administration to step up to hold the company accountable.

Leader McCarthy released the following statement commending his colleagues for taking action to curb TikTok's dangerous data practices:

"Every American should have an expectation that their personal information is being protected -- this includes their data when accessing online apps. But TikTok's own disclosures acknowledge a threat to the protection of our data and China's ability to gain access to it. The company appears to have misled American government officials leaders about this for years.

"We must act now to curb this dangerous behavior. I commend the House Republican Committee Ranking Members who are stepping up to stop this exploitive behavior and also demand that the executive branch take a hard position in protecting the data of all Americans and pushing back against the reckless behavior of this company. Instead of inviting TikTok stars to the White House, this administration should be addressing the national security concerns associated with the app.

"House Republicans take privacy seriously and will make every effort to protect user data."

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