Trump calls TikTok a threat but says some kids could ‘go crazy’ without it



WASHINGTON: US presidential candidate Donald Trump mentioned on Monday that TikTok was a nationwide safety menace but additionally mentioned {that a} ban on the favored app would damage some kids and solely strengthen Meta Platforms’ Fb, which the Republican has harshly criticized.
Trump reiterated his considerations as lawmakers weigh a invoice this week that might give TikTok proprietor ByteDance about six months to divest the favored quick video app.
The U.S. Home of Representatives is about to vote on Wednesday on laws that provides China’s ByteDance a fast deadline to divest the favored TikTok quick video app utilized by 170 million Individuals. The Home is voting underneath fast-track guidelines that require two-thirds of members to vote “sure” for the measure to win passage. The FBI, Justice Division and Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence plan to carry a labeled briefing for Home members, two sources mentioned. FBI Director Chris Wray reiterated considerations about TikTok at a listening to on Monday.
The 2024 Annual Risk Evaluation of the U.S. Intelligence Group launched on Monday mentioned “TikTok accounts run by a PRC propaganda arm reportedly focused candidates from each political events through the U.S. midterm election cycle in 2022.”
The Justice Division detailed its safety considerations about TikTok in a doc final week first reported by Reuters.
“I am not trying to make Fb double the scale,” Trump advised CNBC on Monday. “And when you when you ban TikTok, (then) Fb and others, however principally Fb, can be a giant beneficiary. And I believe Fb has been very dishonest.”
Trump met just lately with investor Jeff Yass, whose funding agency Susquehanna Worldwide Group has a stake in ByteDance, he confirmed on CNBC. Trump mentioned they didn’t discuss TikTok.
Meta Platforms shares closed down 4.4% at $483.59 on Monday. The corporate declined to remark.
Trump beforehand criticized the corporate now referred to as Meta Platforms for revoking his entry to Fb and Instagram after eradicating two of his posts through the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. His accounts have been reinstated in February 2023.
Trump additionally mentioned a TikTok ban may affect younger folks. “There are plenty of younger children on TikTok who will go loopy with out it,” he mentioned. “There’s plenty of good and there is plenty of dangerous with TikTok.”
Tiktok CEO Shou Zi Chew will go to Capitol Hill later this week on a beforehand scheduled journey to speak to senators, a supply briefed on the matter mentioned.
President Joe Biden mentioned final week he would signal the invoice after a committee unanimously accredited the measure.
TikTok, which says it has not and wouldn’t share U.S. person information with the Chinese language authorities, argues the Home invoice quantities to a ban. It’s unclear if China would approve any sale or if TikTok might be divested in six months.
“This laws has a predetermined consequence: a complete ban of TikTok in the USA,” the corporate mentioned on Friday. “The federal government is making an attempt to strip 170 million Individuals of their Constitutional proper to free expression.”
Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise mentioned “we should make sure the Chinese language authorities can’t weaponize TikTok towards American customers and our authorities via information assortment and propaganda.”
The invoice would give ByteDance 165 days to divest TikTok. If it failed to take action, app shops operated by Apple, Alphabet’s Google and others couldn’t legally supply TikTok or present Hosting providers to ByteDance-controlled functions.
In 2020, Trump sought to ban TikTok and Chinese language-owned WeChat however was blocked by the courts.
The app is in style and getting laws accredited by each the Home and Senate in an election 12 months could also be tough. Final month, Biden’s re-election marketing campaign joined TikTok.
Trump’s marketing campaign has not joined TikTok.





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