House Republican Leader Issues Warning to Trump Regarding TikTok
In an op-ed piece, the Republican emphasized that "The law is clear: any deal must eliminate Chinese influence and control over the app to safeguard our interests."
TroibNews 
Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House’s select committee on countering China, took a firm stance this morning against any agreement regarding TikTok that would allow Beijing-based ByteDance to maintain control of the app or its technology.
“The law is clear: any deal must eliminate Chinese influence and control over the app to safeguard our interests,” he stated in an op-ed in The National Review.
His remarks were a response to recent reports indicating that the White House is seriously contemplating a deal that would enable TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. by having Oracle, an American firm, acquire a stake to manage its operations.
Moolenaar emphasized that “ByteDance must fully divest its control of TikTok and have no say in its operations; nor can the two share data, content, or algorithms. These are non-negotiable, and any deal that doesn’t meet these requirements simply isn’t legal.”
The op-ed appeared to take a clear stance against any potential shared-ownership deal that would keep TikTok’s powerful algorithm under Chinese control or grant ByteDance any influence over the app’s operations.
He pointed out that in January, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the 2024 law banning TikTok while it remains under Chinese control. This legislation received broad bipartisan support from Congress and was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump had suspended enforcement of the law on January 20, intending to broker a deal to keep the app active in the U.S., setting a 75-day deadline that will end on April 5.
Significant questions remain regarding the extent of China’s involvement in any potential agreement with Oracle. This week, Republicans in Congress are expected to be briefed on the details of the possible deal.
In his op-ed, Moolenaar criticized a 2023 initiative from ByteDance known as “Project Texas,” which was meant to ensure American data remained on U.S.-based servers. Many lawmakers, including Moolenaar, had asserted that the plan did not adequately address national security concerns related to the perceived influence of the Chinese government over the app.
“It’s no shock that even after Project Texas was rolled out, Americans’ data kept flowing to China, and ByteDance still had the power to censor and quietly manipulate users through TikTok’s algorithm.”
While several lawmakers with a tough stance on China have echoed similar concerns over the past two months, it remains unclear what actions Moolenaar or any other Congress member would take to enforce the law if a deal that contradicts its terms is contemplated.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
“The law is clear: any deal must eliminate Chinese influence and control over the app to safeguard our interests,” he stated in an op-ed in The National Review.
His remarks were a response to recent reports indicating that the White House is seriously contemplating a deal that would enable TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. by having Oracle, an American firm, acquire a stake to manage its operations.
Moolenaar emphasized that “ByteDance must fully divest its control of TikTok and have no say in its operations; nor can the two share data, content, or algorithms. These are non-negotiable, and any deal that doesn’t meet these requirements simply isn’t legal.”
The op-ed appeared to take a clear stance against any potential shared-ownership deal that would keep TikTok’s powerful algorithm under Chinese control or grant ByteDance any influence over the app’s operations.
He pointed out that in January, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the 2024 law banning TikTok while it remains under Chinese control. This legislation received broad bipartisan support from Congress and was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump had suspended enforcement of the law on January 20, intending to broker a deal to keep the app active in the U.S., setting a 75-day deadline that will end on April 5.
Significant questions remain regarding the extent of China’s involvement in any potential agreement with Oracle. This week, Republicans in Congress are expected to be briefed on the details of the possible deal.
In his op-ed, Moolenaar criticized a 2023 initiative from ByteDance known as “Project Texas,” which was meant to ensure American data remained on U.S.-based servers. Many lawmakers, including Moolenaar, had asserted that the plan did not adequately address national security concerns related to the perceived influence of the Chinese government over the app.
“It’s no shock that even after Project Texas was rolled out, Americans’ data kept flowing to China, and ByteDance still had the power to censor and quietly manipulate users through TikTok’s algorithm.”
While several lawmakers with a tough stance on China have echoed similar concerns over the past two months, it remains unclear what actions Moolenaar or any other Congress member would take to enforce the law if a deal that contradicts its terms is contemplated.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
