A.G. Gancarski
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio warned the CIA on Thursday not to join TikTok.
Rubio wrote CIA Director William Burns, urging him to take a stand amid reports the intelligence agency may be late-adopters of the TikTok platform. Rubio contends TikTok is a trojan horse for Chinese intelligence.
“Instead of devoting precious national security resources on a misguided agenda, the CIA should be focused on the most pressing challenges of our time, including threats from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), Putin’s Russia, the Iranian regime, and terrorist networks growing more dangerous due to the Biden Administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal,” Rubio wrote. “As such, I request that you explicitly reject the reported comments of the CIA’s social media team and confirm that the agency will not be joining TikTok, or any other high-risk foreign app.”
In the letter, Rubio reminded Burns of the ties between the Chinese government and ByteDance, which owns TikTok.
“We cannot pretend that TikTok and other Chinese-owned companies are not beholden to the CCP,” Rubio wrote.
The Senator noted Chinese law gives “intelligence officials the right to enter privately-owned commercial facilities, examine private records, investigate and question personnel, and access or even seize communications equipment owned by companies or individuals.”
The letter continues a series of grave concerns from Rubio about the platform.
In July, Rubio urged President Joe Biden to block TikTok completely in light of the Chinese government taking an ownership stake in the company.
“Beijing’s aggressiveness makes clear that the regime sees TikTok as an extension of the party-state, and the U.S. needs to treat it that way,” Rubio wrote Biden earlier this summer.
However, Rubio’s concerns go back farther than that.
A group of Republican senators including Rubio and colleague Rick Scott warned last year the technology could tip the 2020 presidential election.
The Florida duo, along with Republican Senate colleagues Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Kevin Cramer and Joni Ernst, wrote Donald Trump administration officials with grave concerns that “the Chinese Communist Party could use its control over TikTok to distort or manipulate conversations to sow discord among Americans and to achieve its preferred political outcomes.”
11 comments
Alex
September 9, 2021 at 2:24 pm
But Russia can help Republicans get elected President, and Marcocito says nothing.
Mike Saunders
September 9, 2021 at 3:46 pm
Not true. He speaks out regularly against Putin’s crimes and Russian web activity. Ditto China.
Alex
September 9, 2021 at 3:54 pm
Then why target just China recently?
Because Fauci in league with china developed and released covid on us or some such idiotic bs?
Dan
September 12, 2021 at 9:39 am
You really are an idiot
Mike Saunders
September 9, 2021 at 3:54 pm
The most important member of the senate. No matter what happens next year I hope he runs again for POTUS in ’24. Neither Trump nor the Dems are the answer. The politics of revenge has ruinous for our society. The nation desperately needs a competent, grown up center-right president who can work with the opposition instead of demonize them with schoolyard insults. .
Alex
September 9, 2021 at 3:57 pm
Why did he vote to not require Trump to provide any evidence whatsoever in his impeachment trial?
Didn’t he swear an oath to run a fair trial?
Number 1 Naquin
September 9, 2021 at 9:50 pm
Yes i want a far tril..took the words out my mouth..
Harold Finch
September 10, 2021 at 2:55 pm
Great points Mike, I totally agree!!!
DIANNA DAVIS
September 9, 2021 at 5:24 pm
Pls tell others
Help US ( United States )
Join US
Be a part of US
Don’t go against US
Together we are stronger against ONE Y K EU 2
OMG Chinese Mafia Government
Originated year 1210 Portugal Wales Ireland.
Number 1 Naquin
September 9, 2021 at 9:54 pm
I am the falling star that everyone speeks about and just to make things clear it all seems real to me whats was happing and i never know i was being filmed or was part of any move/motion picture…just being clear
Number 1 Naquin
September 9, 2021 at 9:58 pm
Just finally opening my eyes on this problem this people embarrassed me to the point i wanted to kill myself but now im stronger that that i kicked that shit like a G. That dope has not hold on me any more i am a man and never gay..
Comments are closed.