U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has expressed his ongoing concerns about a "CCP controlled app" during this year's presidential election. In a discussion on the China Desk podcast, Gallagher highlighted his apprehensions regarding the social media platform TikTok, coinciding with the passage of a House bill that mandates the company's owner to divest from any affiliations with the Chinese government.
"The final thing I'd say is in light of the CCP's attempts at election interference, I think it should give us a sense of urgency to make sure something similar doesn't happen in the United States," said Rep. Mike Gallagher, US Rep from Wisconsin, Chairman of House Select Committee on the CCP. "I particularly worry about an effectively CCP controlled app like Tiktok being the dominant news platform for young Americans leading into an election cycle."
The host of the China Desk podcast, Steve Yates, probed Gallagher about his specific worries concerning TikTok and its potential control by the CCP. Gallagher utilized TikTok as an illustration of wider threats posed by the CCP against Americans. He compared it to President Xi's "magic weapon" of United Front Work, which includes espionage, influence operations, and coercion. Not only did Gallagher express unease about TikTok's surveillance capabilities but also its rise as a dominant news platform for young Americans, citing the "opacity surrounding its algorithm." He advocated for essential legislative action to dissociate TikTok from ByteDance, its parent company linked to the CCP, according to Federal Newswire.
Gallagher further stated that once TikTok is detached from China's influence, there will be more room for discussion about the adverse effects of social media platforms on young people. As reported by Federal Newswire, he said: "Then we could just have a separate fight about the corrosive impact of social media in general, which goes beyond TikTok and includes all American social media companies that are increasing anxiety, depression, and suicide among our youth."
As per Federal Newswire reports on March 13th, The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act successfully passed through the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill necessitates that TikTok divest from its parent company ByteDance or face being banned from app stores within the United States. In a press release by the Select Committee on the CCP, U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), ranking member of the committee, stated: "So long as it is owned by ByteDance and thus required to collaborate with the CCP, TikTok poses critical threats to our national security. Our bipartisan legislation would protect American social media users by driving the divestment of foreign adversary-controlled apps to ensure that Americans are protected from digital surveillance and influence operations of regimes that could weaponize their personal data against them."
Gallagher, who serves Wisconsin's 8th District since his election in 2017, holds multiple roles in addition to his chairmanship of the House Select Committee on the CCP. According to his biography on his website, he also chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation and is a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
