Issue One commends Congress and President Biden for addressing TikTok national security concerns, calls for comprehensive safeguards

In response to last night’s bipartisan vote in the Senate and President Biden’s signing of the bill that could lead to a ban of TikTok in the U.S., Issue One’s CEO and Founder Nick Penniman issued the following statement:

“Issue One applauds the legislative action recently taken to curb the influence of the Chinese government over the popular app TikTok.

“Our adversaries have a vested interest in disrupting our democracy, our elections, and driving a wedge between the U.S. and our trusted allies. TikTok is a serious national security threat because it could give the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) access to sensitive American user data, and be used as a tool by the CCP to influence U.S. public opinion, by manipulating TikTok’s algorithms to support the Chinese government’s interests. While we are heartened to see this bipartisan deal to safeguard U.S. national security, lawmakers can’t stop with this one app.

“China, Russia, and others frequently exploit the vulnerabilities of American-based platforms to divide and undermine American democracy. We need legislation that applies the same security, privacy, and transparency standards to all social media platforms. Together with Republicans and Democrats, we can build a healthier information environment that strengthens our democracy, rather than undermines it.”

Learn more about Issue One’s social media reform work.