Joe Manchin On TikTok Ban Says 'American Companies Cannot Gather Information In China': 'If We Can't Reciprocate…There's Something Wrong'

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) threw his weight behind growing calls for a TikTok ban, adding that he will vote for the bill when it comes to the Senate. The TikTok bill passed the House vote with 352 "yays" in favor, in excess of the 290 votes that were required.

What Happened: Manchin supported the TikTok ban bill that is now headed to the Senate, in a conversation with CNBC.

"I'm for the bill, and I will vote for the bill that's coming from the House."

China has banned U.S.-based social media services like Meta Platforms Inc.'s Facebook and Instagram, Elon Musk's X, Snap Inc.'s Snapchat, and Reddit, among others, from operating in the country. This, Manchin says, should be reciprocal.

See Also: RFK Jr. Backs GOP Lawsuits Against Biden Over Social Media Censorship: ‘Once The Government Gets Involved…We Have A First Amendment Problem’

"American companies cannot go and gather information in China. If we can't reciprocate in a country, then there's something wrong. That tells you everything."

Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.

"Everyone knows they're using that information to infiltrate our markets, knowing how we think, maybe controlling how we vote."

"I'm for the bill, and I will vote for the bill that's coming from the House," says @Sen_JoeManchin on the TikTok crackdown bill. "American companies cannot go and gather information in China. If we can't reciprocate in a country then there's something wrong." pic.twitter.com/VYb9b5cWLa

— Last Call (@LastCallCNBC) March 18, 2024

Manchin added that they – in this case, Chinese companies like ByteDance Ltd.'s TikTok – should not be allowed to accumulate sensitive information such as this.

"Try doing it in China. You can't do it there."

Why It Matters: Manchin joins a growing list of politicians, tech billionaires and venture capitalists calling for a TikTok ban.

Shark Tank host Mark Cuban and Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham have supported banning the social media platform. Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence, has voiced concerns that TikTok could be used to interfere in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

President Joe Biden has already said he's ready to sign the bill, although former President Donald Trump has flip-flopped on his previous stance and is now opposing the move.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next: Mark Cuban Points To Musk's X In Push For Open Algorithms, Aiming To Safeguard Kids Amid TikTok Ban Concerns

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock