Greenville Reporter

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Murphy issued the following statement after voting in support of H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.

"TikTok is used by China to target, surveil and manipulate American citizens," said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. "The app collects sensitive user data that is shared with the Chinese Communist Party and its intelligence services. Under its current ownership, it presents a grave national security threat."

"In December of 2022, Congress banned the use of TikTok on government devices. The legislation takes greater action to force ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to divest the app in 165 days or lose access to America's market. As a free nation, with the most powerful economy in the world, we must take a stand against the current abuse of this powerful platform. I joined more than 350 Representatives in the House in voting in favor of this legislation."

BackgroundChinese company, ByteDance, owns TikTok and uses its surveillance capabilities and influence to threaten the national security of the United States. In 2017, the CCP passed the National Intelligence Law requiring tech companies to allow the government to retrieve and analyze any intelligence or data requested.

In 2020, India banned 59 Chinese-created apps, including TikTok, emphasizing their priority to defend India's national security. Lack of transparency from TikTok executives and their unwillingness to protect user privacy and information have also encouraged neighboring governments like the European Union and Canada to prohibit the use of the application on government devices.