Allred Votes for Bipartisan Bill to Protect National Security and Ensure TikTok is Free from Malign Chinese Influence

Washington, D.C. - Today Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) voted for the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bill which requires ByteDance, a Chinese government controlled company, to divest fully from TikTok to allow the app to continue operating in the U.S. The bill cleared the House with a strong bipartisan vote of 352-65.

"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," said Allred."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. Apps like TikTok are so important to creators and businesses in Texas and across the country, and that is why I urge Republicans and Democrats to continue to work together to preserve this app, and pass this legislation protecting our national security."

What the Bill Does:

• Require 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.

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.