WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) US tech companies such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook (banned in Russia) pose the same risks to national security as TikTok, Congressman Jamaal Bowman said during a press conference in opposition to a push by lawmakers to ban the platform.
"In terms of TikTok's behavior and its risks to national security, it poses about the same threat that companies like Facebook and Instagram and YouTube and Twitter pose," Bowman said on Wednesday. "Let's not have a dishonest conversation, let's not be racist towards China... because American companies have done tremendous harm to American people."
The United States would be better served by a broader conversation on social media and data brokering reforms, Bowman said.
A number of TikTok content creators and business owners also spoke at the event in favor of the platform, claiming it is essential to their livelihoods and well being.
US media reported on Tuesday that web-tracking codes developed by China-based TikTok parent company ByteDance were found on more than two dozen US state government websites.
On Thursday, TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Chew will provide testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Chew will testify to lawmakers during a hearing on how Congress can safeguard children and US data online.
The hearing comes as lawmakers and the Biden administration weigh the possibility of banning the platform in the US, following restrictions by various state governments and Federal agencies over privacy concerns.
