WATCH: Rep. Mike Gallagher calls TikTok ‘digital fentanyl,’ calls for national ban
Heather Hamilton
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Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) likened TikTok to “digital fentanyl” and said it should be banned nationwide.
“TikTok is owned by ByteDance. ByteDance is effectively controlled by the CCP, so we have to ask whether we want the CCP to control what is on the cusp of becoming the most powerful media company in America,” the Wisconsin Republican told NBC Meet the Press’s Chuck Todd on Sunday. “That is very troubling, so I was glad to see my colleagues in the Senate pass, in unanimous fashion, a ban on TikTok on government devices. I think we should do the same in the House and expand that ban nationally.”
Gallagher blasted the Chinese-owned social media platform for its negative impact on youth.
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“It’s also digital fentanyl in the sense that, as you allude to, it ultimately goes back to the Chinese Communist Party,” Gallagher added. “It’s highly addictive and destructive, and we’re seeing troubling data about the corrosive impact of constant social media use, particularly on young men and women here in America.”
The Republican lawmaker also shared several concerns regarding the Chinese government’s ability to access sensitive data about U.S. citizens.
“I’m concerned about TikTok’s ability to track your location, track your keystrokes, track what websites you’re visiting, even when you’re not using the app. I’m concerned about the lack of transparency around the algorithm, which is addicting kids,” he stated. “But I think what’s more pernicious is the fact that since a lot of young men and women in America increasingly turn to TikTok to get news, what if they start censoring the news, right?”
“What if they start tweaking the algorithm to determine what the CCP deems fit to print?” Gallagher continued. “That’s incredibly dangerous. That’s as if, in 1958, we allowed the KGB and Pravda to buy the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post. That actually probably understates the threat. I think it’s a multi-pronged threat we need to look at.”
Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr also referred to TikTok as “digital fentanyl” in November during a Fox News interview.
Concerns regarding security have led the House of Representatives to ban TikTok from all government-issued devices. At least 15 governors have also issued similar bans, with Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly being the latest to join states barring the app on state-issued devices.
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In December, Gallagher introduced legislation that would ban TikTok from operating within the United States.
“It would allow for a sale to an American company,” Gallagher said. “That option was explored during the Trump administration. Oracle explored a version of that. Microsoft ultimately fell through. I think there’s a workable solution there.”
“I’m open to having that discussion with TikTok. And I really want to have that discussion with the Biden administration. I don’t think this should be a partisan issue,” he added. “This isn’t a partisan issue.”