North Austin News

U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul has expressed approval following the Supreme Court's decision to support legislation within his 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act. This legislation mandates Bytedance to divest from TikTok or face a ban in the United States.

McCaul stated, "Under Bytedance’s ownership, TikTok is a modern-day Trojan Horse of the Chinese Communist Party, which uses the app to manipulate mass audiences, surveil their activity, and weaponize their personal data." He further commented on the potential misuse of data against American youth.

He emphasized that "The Supreme Court’s decision — which both upholds Congress’ intent and protects U.S. national security — couldn’t come at a more crucial time." McCaul criticized President Biden's approach toward China and urged for stronger actions from future administrations.

The act includes a provision requiring Bytedance to sell TikTok to a company based in the U.S. or any non-adversarial country for it to continue operations domestically. McCaul has been vocal about his concerns regarding TikTok since 2019.