Rep. Cammack joins bipartisan coalition introducing legislation to protect Americans from TikTok, foreign adversary-controlled apps

Press release from Rep. Kat Cammack
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Cammack joined Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, to introduce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The bill prevents app store availability or web hosting services in the U.S. for ByteDance-controlled applications, including TikTok, unless the application severs ties to entities like ByteDance that are subject to the control of a foreign adversary, as defined by Congress in Title 10.
In addition, the bill creates a process for the President to designate certain, specifically defined social media applications that are subject to the control of a foreign adversary—per Title 10—and pose a national security risk. Designated applications will face a prohibition on app store availability and web hosting services in the U.S. unless they sever ties to entities subject to the control of a foreign adversary through divestment.
“Any technology—apps, software, language models—owned by foreign adversaries are unequivocal threats to our national security. We have every right to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, data privacy, and national security, and it’s only become clear over the last several years how dangerous these foreign-owned tech platforms truly are,” said Rep. Cammack. “As a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee and new House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, which deal heavily in the telecom and tech space, we know the CCP is using Americans and their data to develop Chinese AI language models and to influence U.S. public opinion in favor of the CCP. I’m grateful to Chairman Gallagher and the Select Committee on the CCP for spearheading this effort, and I look forward to the bipartisan support this effort will garner to keep the U.S. safe from malign influence, adversarial infiltration, espionage, and beyond.”
“This is my message to TikTok: break up with the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to your American users,” said Chairman Gallagher. “America’s foremost adversary has no business controlling a dominant media platform in the United States. TikTok’s time in the United States is over unless it ends its relationship with CCP-controlled ByteDance.”
The coalition believes that applications like TikTok that are controlled by foreign adversaries pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security; such apps allow our adversaries to surveil and influence the American public, both through the data we produce and the information we share and consume.
This legislation addresses the threat in two ways. First, it prevents app store availability or web hosting services in the U.S. for ByteDance-controlled applications, including TikTok, unless the application severs ties to entities like ByteDance that are subject to the control of a foreign adversary, as defined by Congress in Title 10. The bill provides ByteDance with a window of time to divest, and the bill’s prohibitions do not apply if it completes a qualified divestment. It also creates a process for the President to designate certain, specifically defined social media applications that are subject to the control of a foreign adversary—per Title 10—and pose a national security risk. Designated applications will face a prohibition on app store availability and web hosting services in the U.S. unless they sever ties to entities subject to the control of a foreign adversary through divestment. This bill addresses the immediate national security risks posed by TikTok and creates a process for the President to protect Americans’ national security and privacy from foreign adversary-controlled applications in the future.
The bill is co-led by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN ), Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL). Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), Rep. Shontell Brown (D-OH), Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).
Click here to read text of the bill.
This is much needed. Most users of this have no idea how the Chicoms are using these apps to gather information and to influence Americans.
Good for you, and, thanks Kat, we need more attention to thwarting efforts like this from the COMMUNIST COUNTRIES, thanks for your good work.
She can’t even come up with an original idea for a bill.
Has to piggy-back off others. Should have voted for my dog. At least he can get things done!
“It also creates a process for the President to designate certain, specifically defined social media applications that are subject to the control of a foreign adversary—per Title 10—and pose a national security risk.”
Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of armed forces. It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense.
No thank you…the military already has far too much power. This is insane and is a foot in the door for total internet censorship/control. Plus, the only people I know who use TikTok are teenagers and grown idiots.
Each year it is becoming more and more obvious that the President is not the Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces; but rather the US Armed Forces, in concert with the sprawling Military Industrial Complex, is the Commander in Chief of the White House.