During a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Chairman Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, acknowledged 45th President Donald Trump’s foresight regarding the national security risks posed by TikTok. Warner, seldom in agreement with Trump, admitted, “It was rare for me to say that Donald Trump was right. But Donald Trump was right years ago when he pointed out the enormous national security concerns around TikTok, both in terms of obtaining data, but also think about the percentage – I think there are about 170 million Americans who use TikTok.”
Warner highlighted the widespread use of TikTok among American youth, including for news consumption, and emphasized the significant national security threat presented by China’s potential to disseminate propaganda through TikTok, a platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
In 2020, during his term, Trump attempted to ban TikTok in the United States through an executive order, which was later halted by judicial intervention.
Despite his previous stance, Trump, now a presidential candidate again, has shown a more lenient view towards TikTok in 2024, acknowledging its popularity among young users. “Frankly, there are a lot of people on TikTok that love it,” Trump remarked in a recent interview. “There are a lot of young kids on TikTok who will go crazy without it.”
The House of Representatives is gearing up for a vote on legislation that could compel TikTok’s parent company to divest its ownership or face a ban in the U.S. Warner expressed hope for the bill’s success in the Senate, should it pass the House, noting, “It feels like this House bill has momentum.”