Pence labels TikTok ‘digital fentanyl,’ calls on Congress to ban app

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE LABELED TIKTOK AS “DIGITAL FENTANYL,” URGING LEGISLATION REQUIRING EITHER SELLING OR BANNING THE CHINESE -BASED COMPANY DUE TO SECURITY CONCERNS. THE HOUSE IS SET TO VOTE ON A BILL TO FORCE ITS SALE OR FACE A U.S. BAN.

“THE APP IS SO POTENT AND ADDICTIVE THAT TIKTOK IS BANNED WITHIN CHINA,” PENCE WROTE IN A FOX NEWS OPINION COLUMN.

HOWEVER, THAT STATEMENT ISN’T ENTIRELY ACCURATE. WHILE TIKTOK WAS DEVELOPED IN CHINA, IT’S NOT AVAILABLE THERE AT ALL —FOR ONE REASON.

THERE’S ALREADY ANOTHER APP CALLED DOUYIN, WHICH SERVES AS TIKTOK’S SISTER PLATFORM EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE CHINESE MARKET.

BOTH TIKTOK AND DOUYIN ARE OWNED BY BYTEDANCE AND DOUYIN LAUNCHED BEFORE ITS AMERICAN COUNTERPART. ITS ALGORITHM LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR TIKTOK TO BECOME A WORLDWIDE SUCCESS.

AS LAWMAKERS DEBATE TIKTOKS FUTURE IN AMERICA THE COMPANY OPPOSES THE BILL, DUBBING IT A “DE FACTO BAN,” AND CLAIMS TO HAVE INVESTED $1.5 BILLION TO SAFEGUARD U.S. USER DATA FROM CHINESE GOVERNMENT ACCESS. THE PLATFORM IS ACTIVELY PROTESTING BY SENDING PUSH ALERTS, URGING USERS TO CALL THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO PREVENT A TIKTOK BAN.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY ENDORSED A TIKTOK BAN, NOW OPPOSES A BAN, FEARING FACEBOOK’S GROWING REACH.

DURING A MONDAY INTERVIEW ON CNBC’S “SQUAWK BOX.” TRUMP SAID, QUOTE:

[DONALD TRUMP | FORMER PRESIDENT]

“Without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

TIKTOK CEO SHOU CHEW FACED CONGRESSIONAL SCRUTINY OVER SECURITY RISKS AND CHILD ABUSE CONCERNS. PENCE INSISTS ON PREVENTING CCP CONTROL, LIKENING IT TO NOT ALLOWING RUSSIA TO CONTROL NEWS DURING THE COLD WAR.
HOUSE LEADERSHIP HAS SCHEDULED A VOTE ON THE MEASURE FOR WEDNESDAY.