Members from both parties voted in favor of the ban on TikTok passed by the U.S. House this week. The measure would require TikTok's owner, China-based ByteDance, to sell or the app would be banned in the United States.
The U.S. House voted 352-65 in favor of the bill. In Texas, 32 of 38 members voted yes.
"Our national security is paramount and we must work together to ensure apps like TikTok are free from the harmful and malicious influence of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese government remains the most active and persistent cyber threat to the United States. This is not a ban, instead it creates a system to preserve TikTok and protect our freedoms and privacy by requiring ByteDance to fully divest in TikTok," Colin Allred (D-Dallas) wrote in a statement.
Three members from Texas did not vote: Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) voted present; Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) and Roger Williams (R-Cleburne) did not vote.
Three Texans voted "no": Greg Casar (D-Austin), Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston).
"I voted no on the TikTok forced sale bill," Casar wrote in a statement. "While I have serious data privacy concerns with TikTok, this bill was rapidly rushed to a vote by the Republicans with almost no public scrutiny — and that's a recipe for unintended consequences. We need well-vetted, robust protections for TikTok users. Today's bill simply may not work."
The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate. Before the House vote, Senator John Cornyn said he believes TikTok is a threat with its current ownership.
"Because under existing Chinese law any information any Chinese company collects, they have to share with the Chinese Communist Party. So it's well documented that one of the strategies that Communist China has is to collect all this data and apply their artificial intelligence to do mass surveillance, and more," he said.
Cornyn did say the Senate would likely move more slowly and could file amendments to the House bill.
In an interview with CNBC this week, Senator Ted Cruz said he would need to review the House bill before making a decision.
"I'm glad the House is acting. I am deeply concerned about TikTok. I've been very vocal about my concerns of TikTok," he said.
Cruz said he was concerned about Chinese surveillance and espionage, saying 170 million Americans are using the app and the government could monitor what people are saying, where they are and their searches. He said he also worries about propaganda the Chinese government could push toward users.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
