As the Senate considers a bill that could potentially force the sale or ban of TikTok, lawmakers have been briefed by intelligence officials regarding the alleged national security threat posed by the popular social media app.
In light of these briefings, two prominent senators, Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Republican Marsha Blackburn, have written to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, urging them to declassify and make public the information shared.
The senators expressed deep concern over the information and issues raised by the intelligence community in recent classified briefings to Congress. They emphasize the importance of the American people, especially TikTok users, understanding the national security implications at stake.
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The exact nature of the intelligence community’s concerns about TikTok has been a subject of debate. Lawmakers in the House received a similar briefing before they voted on the bill.
While the briefing seemed to strengthen support for the measure, some members remained unconvinced. One lawmaker even stated that nothing they heard was unique to TikTok.
According to Axios, some senators described their briefing as “shocking,” although it is worth noting that this group may not have a particularly nuanced understanding of the tech industry.
In Axios’ report, one lawmaker claimed they were informed that TikTok can spy on users’ devices’ microphones, track keystrokes, and monitor their activities on other apps.
While this may sound alarming, it is important to recognize that these are the types of app permissions that social media services have been requesting for over a decade.
TikTok has consistently denied that its relationship with parent company ByteDance would allow Chinese government officials to interfere with its service or spy on Americans. To date, there is no public evidence to suggest that TikTok has been used in such a manner.
If US intelligence officials possess concrete evidence beyond mere speculation, it would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the ongoing debate surrounding the app.
