Holding TikTok and Big Tech Accountable

Dear Neighbors,

I held a hearing this week in the Energy and Commerce Committee to bring more transparency to TikTok, which is controlled by its Beijing Communist-based parent company ByteDance. While TikTok videos provide a new, fun way for people to express their creativity and enjoy the videos of others, the platform also threatens the health, privacy, and security of the American people. I am not convinced that the benefits outweigh the risks that it poses to Americans in its present form.

TikTok collects and compiles vast troves of valuable personal information to create an addictive algorithm that is able to predict with uncanny accuracy which videos will keep users scrolling even if the content is harmful, inaccurate, or feeds destructive behavior or extremist beliefs.

The combination of TikTok’s Beijing Communist-based ownership and its popularity exacerbates its dangers to our country and to our privacy. The Chinese Communist government can compel companies based in Beijing, like TikTok, to share data with the Communist government through existing Beijing law or coercion. National security experts are sounding the alarm, warning that the Chinese Communist government could require TikTok to compromise device security, maliciously access American user data, promote pro-Communist propaganda, and undermine American interests. Read more here

Flood Control Project Officially Underway in Union Beach

I held a groundbreaking ceremony this week with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the Union Beach flood control project. This phase includes beach replenishment with dunes, pedestrian and automobile dune crossovers, and strategically placed terminal groins, which are similar to jetties. The remaining phases are primarily flood control infrastructure, including flood gates and pump stations.

We saw firsthand the devastating impact of Superstorm Sandy in Union Beach, but it doesn’t just take a major storm to inflict flood damage on homes, businesses, and other property. Coastal states like New Jersey are on the frontlines of rising sea levels and stronger storms due to climate change.

I fought to include federal funding for this project so we can protect homes and businesses from future disasters. I will continue to work with our state and local officials to deliver federal support to our communities across Monmouth County so they have the resources they need to withstand future storms and flooding events. Read more here

Click here to visit my website or call my offices directly if you have questions or need help with a federal agency:

Middlesex County: 732-249-8892

Monmouth County: 732-571-1140

Sincerely,

Congressman Pallone