Donald Trump: Banning TikTok Is Actually Threatening National Security And Profiting Meta Platforms

Donald Trump actually thinks that the ban on TikTok will only benefit Meta (photo: x @realDonaldTrump)

JAKARTA - United States Presidential Candidate Donald Trump said on Monday March 11 that TikTok is a national security threat, but also said the ban on popular apps would harm some children in the US. He even accused the ban would only strengthen Meta Platforms, the Facebook owner he has criticized so far.

Trump reiterated concerns as lawmakers considering a bill this week will give Chinese TikTok owners ByteDance about six months to release shares in the short video app used by 170 million Americans.

The US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on Wednesday March 13 with fast lane rules requiring two-thirds of members to vote "yes" for the bill to pass.

TikTok notified Congress late Monday in a letter that it was "unowned or controlled by the Chinese government" and argued that if the company was sold to other buyers, the buyer would not continue TikTok's $1.5 billion efforts to protect US data.

"Ironically, US user data can become less secure in the release scheme," the company said.

The FBI, Department of Justice, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence plan to hold a briefing for members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, two sources said. FBI Director Chris Wray again expressed concern about TikTok in a hearing on Monday.

The 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community released on Monday said "TikTok accounts run by PRC propaganda tools have reportedly targeted candidates from both political parties during the central election cycle of US term in 2022."

The US Department of Justice detailed its security concerns about TikTok in a document last week.

"I'm not looking for a way to make Facebook double its size," Trump told CNBC on Monday. "And if you ban TikTok, (then) Facebook and others, but especially Facebook, it will be a very beneficial side. And I think Facebook has been very dishonest."

Trump recently met with investor Jeff Yass, whose company is Susquehanna International Group which shares in ByteDance, which he confirmed on CNBC. Trump said they weren't talking about TikTok.

Children Will Be Disappointed

Trump previously criticized the company, now called Meta Platforms for revoking its access to Facebook and Instagram after removing two of its posts during the riots on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. But his account was reactivated in February 2023.

Trump also said the ban on TikTok could affect young people. "There are a lot of young people on TikTok who would be disappointed without it," he said. "There are a lot of good and bad things about TikTok."

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will visit Capitol Hill this weekend on a previously scheduled visit to talk to senators, said an informed source on the matter.

US President Joe Biden said last week that he would sign the bill after a committee approved the bill unanimously.

TikTok, which says it has never and will not share US user data with the Chinese government, argues that the DPR Bill is actually a ban. It is unclear whether China will approve any sale or whether TikTok can be released within six months.

Chairman of the House of Representatives, Steve Scallise, said: "We have to make sure the Chinese government cannot use TikTok as a weapon against American users and our government through data collection and propaganda."

The bill will give ByteDance 165 days to release TikTok. If it fails to do so, app stores operated by Alphabet's Apple, Google, and others are not valid to offer TikTok or provide web hosting services for apps controlled by ByteDance.

In 2020, Trump had already tried to ban TikTok and WeChat owned by China but were blocked by the courts.

The app is popular and getting legislative approval from the two Houses and Senates in the election year may be difficult. Last month, Biden's re-nomination campaign team joined TikTok. Meanwhile, Trump's campaign team did not join TikTok.