On Monday, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) voiced his concern with social media giant TikTok’s access to American users’ data.
Comer told FNC’s “Fox & Friends First” that China having access to user data was a privacy and national security issue. He warned the communist country could gain a “competitive advantage” over the United States from knowing “exactly what trends the next generation of consumers are into.”
“What we have with TikTok is China having their foot in the door on American information, on American data, on all sorts of data,” Comer asserted. “And this is concerning. This is concerning about privacy. This is concerning about national security. So, my House Oversight Committee is working with the House Energy and Commerce Committee. We are requesting information to see exactly what this administration is doing to try to protect the privacy and the data of American citizens.”
“We are concerned about facial recognition, but they are also collecting data on purchasing, on browsing, on all sorts of activities and things that the children like to be able to influence future purchases,” he added. “I mean, China, despite being a communist country, is very business savvy. So, this data gives them a competitive advantage. Obviously, by invading our privacy, they know exactly what trends the next generation of consumers are into.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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