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Report Exposes TikTok’s Funding Of Major US Media Companies

A recent investigation by the Daily Caller News Foundation has revealed that several prominent American media outlets, which receive financial support from TikTok, have shown a clear bias towards the app and have been doubtful about its potential threat to national security in their coverage of efforts to prohibit it. In the lead-up to a congressional hearing that was held last Thursday to decide whether to ban the app, TikTok launched a public relations campaign by purchasing advertisements in The New York Times and Washington Post, including a four-page ad in the NYT that had a QR code directing readers to the company's website where it boasted about its security measures. The app also sponsored a popular Axios newsletter.

Prior to TikTok CEO Shou Chew's testimony before Congress, Axios published an article emphasizing the app's widespread popularity among Americans. The article argued that the large number of users made it challenging for lawmakers to justify the app's potential national security risks in comparison to users' demands. Meanwhile, in a March 10 article, The Washington Post dismissed worries about TikTok's algorithm and user data being susceptible to propaganda and espionage as mere "speculation."

According to a New York Times article published on Tuesday, the potential danger posed by TikTok was described as "mostly hypothetical" and recognized that there were "a few instances of misconduct." The article further argued that the Biden administration had not presented enough proof to indicate a systematic endeavor to promote the Chinese government's objectives. Despite the U.S. government's apprehensions about Chinese espionage through the app, media outlets that receive financial backing from TikTok do not support these claims. In a Washington Post article published on Tuesday, it was repeatedly mentioned that the U.S. government had not furnished any evidence to corroborate these concerns.

It is worth mentioning that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is presently being investigated by the FBI. This follows the revelation that ByteDance workers utilized TikTok data in 2020 to monitor journalists covering the company. Additionally, Forbes reports that TikTok retains an internal mapping tool containing users' personally identifiable information, which is constantly updated for U.S. users. The company has even jokingly referred to this tool as "NSA-to-go" among its staff.

In February, Republican Representative Michael McCaul from Texas put forth a bill that would modify the Berman Amendment to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This amendment restricts the President's power to regulate specific informational content, but the proposed modification would allow President Joe Biden to prohibit TikTok. The White House had already barred TikTok from government devices in January, and the Treasury Department has warned of a potential ban on the app if ByteDance doesn't relinquish its ownership.

It is alarming that media outlets funded by TikTok would downplay the potential national security risks of the app. With concerns about the Chinese spying threat, and the surveillance of journalists, it is imperative that we take the necessary actions to restrict the use of TikTok in our country. It is not about limiting the freedom of speech or choice of the American people but rather ensuring our national security is not compromised.

Written by Staff Reports

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