GOP Senator Marco Rubio Calls for TikTok Ban, Citing National Security

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is calling for the immediate ban of TikTok, citing it as a national security risk for America.

What Happened: Rubio's concerns stem from TikTok being a social media platform controlled by the Communist Party of China (CCP), putting American users' personal data at risk of being used by foreign governments.

In defense of the platform, TikTok CEO Shou Chew on Thursday stated in front of a House Committee that the content on the app in the U.S. is moderated in the same way as other U.S.-based companies like Meta Platform's META Instagram and Alphabet's GOOG GOOGL YouTube.

Related: Lawmakers Accuse TikTok Of Being National Security Threat, Call For Ban

Rubio argued the risk goes beyond just harmful content moderation and data collection. "The risk is that TikTok is the social media company that is completely controlled by the Communist Party of China," Rubio said in a video posted to Twitter.

"That's why TikTok suppresses things the Chinese government disapproves of, like talking about the atrocities they commit against weaker Muslims and Tibetans."

Rubio's concerns are not without merit; he mentioned the Department of Justice is currently investigating how TikTok employees spied on several American reporters who were writing stories the company did not approve of.

Why It Matters: Rubio said engineers in China were caught repeatedly collecting sensitive data from specific American users, and Chinese-based team TikTok employees were tracking the location of specific American journalists.

The senator's worries are not new, saying he has been calling for the ban of TikTok for more than three years.

Rubio is not alone in his concerns, with lawmakers from both parties and other countries calling for a TikTok ban. But, there are those who argue that a complete ban may not be necessary and that regulating the app could be a more effective solution.

Read Next: TikTok At 'Pivotal' Moment, Warns CEO: Ban Could Take App 'Away From All 150 Million Of You'

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