House panel zeroes in on Chinese-owned app TikTok over security fear
< < Go Back
House Republicans and Democrats plan much more scrutiny of the U.S.’s economic entanglement with China, and fears over TikTok are growing.
The new House select committee charged with alerting Americans to the perils of a rising China is zeroing in on TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media application that has built a massive American following despite suspicions that it could be used as a tool of foreign espionage or influence.
The implications of this new scrutiny — part of a broadening congressional review of U.S. engagement with China — are unclear. Washington remains torn over whether it should ban the wildly popular app, order it sold or allow TikTok to keep scrolling across 100 million American smartphones. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — who launched the committee as one of his first moves — this week named its 13 Republican members. Democrats have yet to tap theirs.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), the panel’s chairman, wants to ban the app or force its sale to an American buyer, citing data security issues and TikTok’s potential use by Beijing as a weapon of propaganda.
More From The Washington Post (subscription required):