March 12, 2024
Dear Representatives,
Americans for Prosperity, Concerned Veterans for America, Advancing American Freedom, Heritage Action For America, Independent Women’s Voice, Foundation for American Innovation, Digital Progress Institute, and Digital First Project urge you to support H. R. 7521 The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act sponsored by Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL). We also highly encourage the House to keep the vote on Wednesday and not elongate this critical inflection point.
There is no question recent advancements in technology and communication empowered millions of people to change our world for the better. We also must recognize there are real threats to U.S. national security when these technologies are being deployed by foreign adversaries who wish to do us harm. There is mounting evidence TikTok is that kind of security threat. We would never want the U.S. federal government to have the power to censor, surveil, and manipulate Americans – we absolutely cannot permit that abuse of power by the Chinese government through TikTok.
Applications controlled by ByteDance, including TikTok, serve as conduits for potential surveillance and manipulation of American citizens, posing significant risks to data security and public discourse. To address this threat, the proposed legislation adopts a two-pronged approach:
- First, by restricting app store availability and web hosting services for ByteDance-controlled applications, including TikTok, unless they sever ties with entities under foreign adversary control as defined by Congress.
- Second, the bill offers ByteDance a defined window to divest, with exemptions available upon completing a qualified divestment.
This legislation represents a sophisticated and targeted response to a genuine national security threat while avoiding unnecessary entanglements or repercussions for tech platforms and companies. It is for these reasons we respectfully ask you to vote YES on H.R. 7521, The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
Sincerely,
Patrice Onwuka
Director
Center for Economic Opportunity