On Monday’s broadcast of “CNN NewsNight,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) stated that he has moved towards leaning in favor of voting to force Chinese divestment from TikTok and that the Biden campaign should get off an app that is clearly being used “to cause problems here at home, to try to divide the American people, to try to get us fighting amongst ourselves so that we have less time to deal with adversaries.”
Moskowitz said, “I think the evidence has come out…and we’re going to be briefed on it and you saw the vote come out of committee in a bipartisan fashion last week, 50-0. I can tell you 50-0 votes…[are] so [few and far] between, and then all of Congress is going to get a briefing from intelligence officials next week. And so, look, this bill is not a ban of TikTok, but what it will do is it will force the sale to a U.S. company to get Chinese influence out from underneath of TikTok. One of the things that convinced me is talking to parents of kids that are on this like digital fentanyl and another thing that convinced me was after the October 7 war to see all of the misinformation that was being spread on TikTok, intentionally meant to divide the American public and cause more dissension here at home.”
He added, “I don’t think it can just be only TikTok. I think we need to look at data transfers from companies over here to China. There [are] a number of those done by a number of companies. … I think if the United States does do this, we should expect China could retaliate with U.S. companies doing business in China. But, look, I look forward to the briefing, I am leaning towards voting for the bill. I do think it’s come time to start putting our foot down with how these algorithms are feeding — whether it’s information or misinformation, but with an intent, I think, to cause problems here at home, to try to divide the American people, to try to get us fighting amongst ourselves so that we have less time to deal with adversaries. I think that’s something China and Russia both want to see happen.”
Host Abby Phillip then asked, “Should the Biden campaign get off TikTok, then?”
Moskowitz responded, “Yeah, look, if the President is going to sign the bill, I think he should get off of it until the sale happens.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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