Forcing China to Divest

[ACT For America]
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BEHIND TIKTOK’S CHINA CYBERESPIONAGE THREAT: Forcing China to Divest
is Critical to Securing Citizens and the Nation.

Dear John,

BRIGITTE GABRIEL AND ACT FOR AMERICA HAVE BEEN A PROMINENT ADVOCATE
FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR 20+ YEARS.

On the Bill to Protect Americans From Foreign Adversary-Controlled
Applications, Including TikTok
[[link removed]],
some critics argue all social media platforms are similarly storing
users' data, however the unique security risks posed by TikTok and
other apps is the CCP-Controlled ByteDance affiliation and how they
use it against everyday Americans, corporations, the military and DOD,
state governments, and the federal government, an alarming threat,
largely underreported due to China’s heavy advertising influence.

The history of China’s cyberespionage scheme through wildly
successful social media platforms, devices, and more, has been
developing for many years. China’s cyber warfare has proven
devastatingly effective, much of it yet to be discovered.

IN CONFRONTING THIS UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS, WE ARE FACED WITH THE
DAUNTING TASK OF DEFENDING NOT JUST OUR PRIVACY AND SECURITY, BUT THE
VERY ESSENCE OF OUR NATION'S IDENTITY—our minds, hearts, and souls.
The infiltration by foreign adversaries demands decisive action and
unwavering commitment to safeguarding our country's core values and
principles. Together, we must stand united in the defense of our
nation's sovereignty and the protection of its citizens.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…THE CCP CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY WANTS A WEAK,
DIVIDED AMERICA!
[[link removed]]

_This bill calls for the complete divestment of China’s Communist
Party and any foreign adversaries, not selective censorship, or bans,
but we’ll let you decide._ 

* CCP-CONTROLLED HACKER GROUPS SERVING THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND
MILITARY HAVE UNFETTERED ACCESS TO TIKTOK DATA, DESPITE TRANSFERRING
ALL DATA TO A SERVER IN TEXAS.
* WHEN YOU ALLOW YOUR DEVICE TO CONNECT VIA WI-FI, THE TIKTOK APP
PROVIDES BACK DOOR SPY CAPABILITIES, PROVIDING CCP ACCESS TO PERCEIVED
SECURE SERVERS AND SYSTEMS, LEADING TO BANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
* CCP-controlled corporate espionage steals up to $600B in US
intellectual property annually.
* CCP-controlled hacker groups stole hundreds of millions in COVID
relief and Unemployment benefits during the ‘plandemic’.
* The CCP intrusions in numerous states and government systems could
take years to discover and identify what critical data or
infrastructure was stolen or weaponized, including ransomware.
* ByteDance itself was caught hunting down journalists leaking
information regarding their spy apps, including TikTok, WhatsApp, and
more.
* _IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF IF, BUT WHEN, THE CCP WILL TARGET
INDIVIDUALS WITH IDENTITY THEFT, EXTORTION, BANK AND CREDIT CARD
FRAUD, AND OTHER CYBER-CRIMES. _
* FEDERAL BANS: Former President Donald Trump proposed ByteDance
sell parts of TikTok to Microsoft in 2020. Congress later approved a
motion to ban TikTok on federal government-issued devices, and
President Biden's administration ordered federal employees to remove
the app from their devices within 30 days in March of 2023.
* STATE BANS: More than half of US states have either fully or
partially banned TikTok from state-issued government devices.
* UNIVERSITY BANS: Some public, state-funded universities in the US
have banned TikTok from operating on campus Wi-Fi and university-owned
devices.
* GLOBAL BANS: Several countries, including Taiwan, Canada, EU
governing bodies, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, the UK, and
Australia, have banned TikTok from federal devices due to national
security concerns.

_HERE IS THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE
CCP RELATED TO THIS BILL._
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_

 

WHAT THE BILL DOES:

* Incentivize Divestment of TikTok: Unless TikTok is fully divested
such that it is no longer controlled by a PRC-based entity, the
application will face a prohibition in the U.S. from app store
availability and web hosting services until such time as a divestment
occurs.
* Address the National Security Risks Posed by Other Applications
Controlled by Foreign Adversary Companies: Establishes a process for
the President to designate other foreign adversary-controlled social
media applications—as defined by statute—that shall face a
prohibition on app store availability and access to web hosting
services in the United States unless they sever ties to the foreign
adversary-controlled company. The President may exercise this
authority if an application presents a national security threat, has
over one million annual active users, and is under the control of a
foreign adversary entity, as defined by statute.
* Empower Users to Switch Platforms: Designated applications must
provide users with a copy of their data in a format that can be
imported into an alternative social media application. All users would
be able to download their data and content and transition to another
platform.

CALL ON CONGRESS TO FORCE CHINA’S DIVESTMENT OR BAN THE APP!
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WHAT THE BILL DOES NOT DO:

* Punish Individual Social Media Users: No enforcement action can
be taken against individual users of an impacted app.
* Censor Speech: This legislation does not regulate speech. It is
focused entirely on foreign adversary control—not the content of
speech being shared. This bill only applies to specifically defined
social media apps subject to the control of foreign adversaries, as
defined by Congress.
* Impact Apps That Sever Ties to Foreign Adversary-Controlled
Entities: An app, including TikTok, that severs ties with entities
subject to the control of a foreign adversary is not impacted by any
other provision of the bill.

BILL TO PROTECT AMERICANS FROM FOREIGN ADVERSARY-CONTROLLED
APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING TIKTOK
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March 5, 2024 | Condensed

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-WI) AND REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL),
CHAIRMAN AND RANKING MEMBER OF THE HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE
STRATEGIC COMPETITION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY, TODAY INTRODUCED THE PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM
FOREIGN ADVERSARY CONTROLLED APPLICATIONS ACT. The bill prevents app
store availability or web hosting services in the U.S. for
ByteDance-controlled applications, including TikTok, unless the
application severs ties to entities like ByteDance that are subject to
the control of a foreign adversary, as defined by Congress in Title
10.

FOREIGN ADVERSARIES: The Secretary has determined that the following
foreign governments or foreign non-government persons have engaged in
a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly
adverse to the national security of the United States or security and
safety of United States persons and, therefore, constitute foreign
adversaries solely for the purposes of the Executive Order, this rule,
and any subsequent rule: (1) The People's Republic of China, including
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China); (2) Republic of
Cuba (Cuba); (3) Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran); (4) Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (North Korea); (5) Russian Federation
(Russia); and (6) Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro (Maduro
Regime).

In addition, the bill creates a process for the President to designate
certain, specifically defined social media applications that are
subject to the control of a foreign adversary—per Title 10—and
pose a national security risk. _DESIGNATED APPLICATIONS WILL FACE A
PROHIBITION ON APP STORE AVAILABILITY AND WEB HOSTING SERVICES IN THE
U.S. UNLESS THEY SEVER TIES TO ENTITIES SUBJECT TO THE CONTROL OF A
FOREIGN ADVERSARY THROUGH DIVESTMENT. _

CALL ON CONGRESS TO FORCE CHINA’S DIVESTMENT OR BAN THE APP!
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“THIS IS MY MESSAGE TO TIKTOK: BREAK UP WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST
PARTY OR LOSE ACCESS TO YOUR AMERICAN USERS,” said Chairman
Gallagher. “America’s foremost adversary has no business
controlling a dominant media platform in the United States. TikTok’s
time in the United States is over unless it ends its relationship with
CCP-controlled ByteDance.”

“SO LONG AS IT IS OWNED BY BYTEDANCE AND THUS REQUIRED TO
COLLABORATE WITH THE CCP, TIKTOK POSES CRITICAL THREATS TO OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY. Our bipartisan legislation would protect American
social media users by driving the divestment of foreign
adversary-controlled apps to ensure that Americans are protected from
the digital surveillance and influence operations of regimes that
could weaponize their personal data against them. Whether it’s
Russia or the CCP, this bill ensures the President has the tools he
needs to press dangerous apps to divest and defend Americans’
security and privacy against our adversaries,” said Ranking Member
Krishnamoorthi.

"IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE VAST BENEFITS – AND VAST
RISKS – OF OUR MOST POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. ENSURING THAT
FOREIGN ADVERSARIES DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL WHAT WE SEE AND
HEAR ONLINE IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF WHAT SHOULD BE A BIPARTISAN
EFFORT TO MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA SAFER FOR ALL AMERICANS. This bill would
ensure that TikTok is no longer controlled, even indirectly, by the
Chinese Communist Party, and does so in a responsible way, that
doesn’t take away Americans’ favorite social media apps," said
Rep. Moulton.

“THE DANGEROUS LINK BETWEEN TIKTOK AND THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY
HAS NEVER BEEN MORE APPARENT. When TikTok’s CEO came before the
Energy and Commerce Committee last year, HE READILY ADMITTED TO ME
THAT BYTEDANCE EMPLOYEES IN CHINA HAVE ACCESS TO U.S. USER DATA. This
alone should serve as a wake-up call and alarm every single American
– whether they’re actively engaged on TikTok or not. TikTok and
its ties to Communist China poses a clear and present danger to U.S.
national security and is threatening the privacy of millions of
Americans. I’m proud to help lead the bipartisan Protecting
Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which
will ban the app from the United States if TikTok is not divested by
the Chinese Communist Party,” said Rep. Latta.

“ALL AMERICANS DESERVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND MEDIA PLATFORMS
THAT ARE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF HOSTILE FOREIGN ACTORS LIKE THE
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY. But here are the facts: TikTok has been used
by the CCP to silence free speech and dissent in the United States and
abroad, to undermine democracy and our values, and to promote
propaganda that is favorable to autocratic rulers like President Xi.
This bipartisan legislation should be passed immediately to protect
our democracy, our national security, and our kids,” said Rep.
Sherrill.  

“THE HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CCP AND THE HOUSE ENERGY &
COMMERCE COMMITTEE HAVE FOUND ALARMING PROOF OF OUR DATA BEING SHARED
WITH OUR ADVERSARIES VIA APPLICATIONS DEVELOPED BY BYTEDANCE,” said
Rep. Dunn. “I even asked the TikTok CEO point blank if ByteDance
has spied on Americans on behalf of the CCP, and his response was ‘I
don’t think spying is the right way to describe it.’ This is
outrageous. I took an oath to protect the American people and I’m
proud to join this effort to ban applications that can be utilized and
abused by our adversaries.”

"CONGRESS CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO IGNORE THE GROWING THREAT POSED BY
FOREIGN ADVERSARY-CONTROLLED APPLICATIONS LIKE TIKTOK," said Rep.
Torres. "TikTok not only jeopardizes our national security but also
threatens our fundamental freedoms by allowing adversaries to surveil
and influence the American public under the guise of a social media
platform. "

"NOT ONLY IS THE CCP-CONTROLLED TIKTOK AN IMMENSE NATIONAL SECURITY
RISK TO OUR COUNTRY, IT IS ALSO POISONING THE MINDS OF OUR YOUTH EVERY
DAY ON A MASSIVE SCALE. China is our enemy, and we need to start
acting like it. This legislation will make our country better off and
more secure," said Rep. Roy.

“ANY TECHNOLOGY—APPS, SOFTWARE, LANGUAGE MODELS—OWNED BY FOREIGN
ADVERSARIES ARE UNEQUIVOCAL THREATS TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. WE HAVE
EVERY RIGHT TO PROTECT AMERICANS’ CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, DATA
PRIVACY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY, AND IT’S ONLY BECOME CLEAR OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS HOW DANGEROUS THESE FOREIGN-OWNED TECH PLATFORMS
TRULY ARE,” said Rep. Cammack. I’m grateful to Chairman Gallagher
and the Select Committee on the CCP for spearheading this effort and I
look forward to the bipartisan support this effort will garner to keep
the U.S. safe from malign influence, adversarial infiltration,
espionage, and beyond.”

“TIKTOK IS CCP SPYWARE USED BY THE REGIME TO STEAL AMERICANS’
DATA AND PUSH HARMFUL PROPAGANDA, INCLUDING CONTENT SHOWING MIGRANTS
HOW TO ILLEGALLY CROSS OUR SOUTHERN BORDER, SUPPORTING HAMAS
TERRORISTS, AND WHITEWASHING 9/11. Bottom line: TikTok needs to
completely cut ties with the CCP or it will no longer be available in
the United States. It is past time to dismantle the CCP’s top
propaganda and spyware tool,” said Rep. Hinson. 

Click HERE
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read text of the bill.

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