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July 15, 2020

The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
The White House

1600 Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20502

Dear President Trump:

We write to support your administration?s efforts to restrict TikTok and other social media sites
linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from accessing US. markets. These popular apps?
data collection practices, coupled with China?s onerous cyber security laws requiring all
companies operating in China, including TikTok?s parent company, ByteDance, to share user
data with CCP authorities, present a very real threat to US. national security. As such, we urge
your administration to take decisive action to protect the American people?s privacy and safety.

In June, India took the extraordinary step of banning 60 Chinese?af?liated mobile apps,
including TikTok, due to national security concerns. However, the systemic campaign to
collect and illicitly transmit user data for the Chinese government?s purposes is not unique to
Indian consumers. In fact, Chinese authorities currently enjoy relatively unrestricted access to
US. consumer and government data through the country?s advanced data mining policies. As
evidence, TikTok?s privacy policy for US. residents is upfront about the vast quantity of user
data it collects and shares with the CCP: .

?We automatically collect certain information from you when you use the
Platform, including internet or other network activity information such as your
IP address, geolocation?related data. . .,unique device identi?ers, browser and
search hist01y (including content you have viewed in the Platform), and
Cookies.?

Additionally, the company?s privacy policy notes that it ?also collect[s] information you share
with [TikTok] from third-party social network providers, and technical and behavioral
information about your use of the Platform.?1 As US. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently
stated, Americans should only use this app, ?if you want your private information in the hands of
the Chinese Communist Party.?

 

1 

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Fuithermore, TikTok?s censorship of user content to advance the foreign policy aims is
deeply concerning. Leaked documents2 detail instructions to ban videos on the app that mention
Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, or banned religious groups. Moreover, an Australian
Strategic Policy Institute report recently found that ByteDance works closely with the Chinese
government to enable human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims3 by disseminating the 
state propaganda. ByteDance is also required under Chinese law to provide seats on the
company?s board of directors to CCP of?cials, fulther cementing the authoritarian government?s
role in setting these policies.

It is clear that the United States should not trust TikTok or any other Chinese-af?liated social
media websites or apps to protect Americans? data, privacy, or security. As such, we urge you to
take strong action to stop the sophisticated espionage campaign against our country and
protect our national security. Thank you in advance for your attention to this important matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Ken Buck Jim Banks

Member of Congress Member of Congress
Andy'Biggs Ted Budd

Member of Congress Member of Congress

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Rick Crawford Jeff Duncan

Member of Congress . Member of Congress

 

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Neal P. Dunn, MD.
Member of Congress

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Bob Gibbs
Member of Congress

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Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S.
Member of Congress

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Jody Hice
Member of Congress

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Doug LaMalfa
Member of Congress

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Gaetz
Member of Congress

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Louie Gohmert
Member of Congress

 

 

 

 

Michael Guest
Member of Congress

Steve King
Member of Congress

 

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Doug Lamborn
Member of Congress

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Tom McClintock
Member of Congress

 

 

Scott Perry
Member of Congress

 

Chip Roy
Member of Congress

 

W. Gregory Steube
Member of Congress

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Ted S. Yoho, D.V.M.
Member of Congress

 



 

Ralph Norman
Member of Congress

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Tom Rice
Member of Congress

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Ross Spano
Member of Congress

 

 

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Jackie Walorski
Member of Congress

CC: The Honorable Michael R. Pompeo, United States Secretary of State