During a House of Representatives intelligence committee hearing, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines expressed concerns about China potentially leveraging TikTok to influence the 2024 U.S. elections. In response to Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi’s inquiry, Haines admitted, “We cannot rule out that the CCP would use it.” This acknowledgment underscores the growing apprehension surrounding the influence of foreign entities on American political processes through social media platforms.
Krishnamoorthi, also the ranking Democrat on the House select committee on China, has taken proactive steps to address this issue. In collaboration with Republican chair Mike Gallagher, Krishnamoorthi introduced a bill mandating ByteDance to divest TikTok within six months. This bipartisan initiative underscores concerns over national security and election integrity amidst fears of foreign interference.
China Using TikTok: The urgency to address this issue is evident as the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to vote on the bill, with President Joe Biden expressing his support for it. The 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. The Intelligence Community’s report emphasized the concerning pattern of Chinese government propaganda reaching candidates from all political affiliations through TikTok during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections. As policymakers and intelligence agencies maintain their watchfulness, the results of this legislative initiative will profoundly impact efforts to protect the democratic process and national security from foreign interference.Read More…
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