US House committee releases TikTok hearing transcript
The DoJ, citing national security concerns, claims TikTok collects vast amounts of sensitive data, which the Chinese government could exploit.
The US House has voted to release a transcript of a March hearing on TikTok’s security threats to aid the Justice Department in defending a law that mandates ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to divest its US assets. The US government’s stringent approach follows the lawsuits from ByteDance and TikTok creators challenging the law, which was signed by President Biden and could ban TikTok in the US if divestiture isn’t completed by January 2025.
Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers stated that intelligence officials at the March hearing warned of dangers from foreign-controlled apps like TikTok, which could misuse American data. Despite the law, China has not intended to relinquish control over such applications, suggesting potential nefarious uses against Americans.
TikTok criticised the legislative process, claiming it was secretive and rushed. The Justice Department is set to respond to the legal challenges by 26 July, with a court hearing scheduled for 16 September.
The courts halted a previous attempt to ban TikTok by former President Trump in 2020. The current efforts focus on national security concerns, citing the app’s extensive data collection and the risks posed by Chinese ownership.
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