DeSantis says TikTok should be banned in US
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warns of the risks of the China-owned app.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox Nation host Piers Morgan in an exclusive interview that TikTok should be banned across the U.S., citing rumors of the app's alleged dangers that have brought its CEO Shou Zi Chew to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress.
DeSantis, sitting across from Morgan, told him that, if given the authority, he would likely take action to ban the app due to swirling accusations that the video-sharing platform harvests user data, making the information accessible to China.
"Would you ban TikTok?" Morgan asked.
DON'T USE TIKTOK? THE CHINA-OWNED SOCIAL NETWORK MAY STILL HAVE YOUR DATA
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a Freedom Blueprint event in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 10, 2023. (Kathryn Gamble/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
DeSantis paused. "I would. I think so. I think it's a security risk. They are harvesting so much data on our citizens," he replied.
"There's a whole bunch of other apps and stuff that are out there and, honestly, I've got young kids and I don't want our kids on some of this stuff."
The China-based platform is raising eyebrows for not only harvesting data for those who have the app installed and use it regularly, but for also using trackers known as "pixels" to gather information from sites that have TikTok videos embedded in them, according to cybersecurity company Feroot Security.
U.S. government officials continue to call for a nationwide ban on TikTok, citing national security concerns. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
"These trackers can pick off tons of information, including your usernames, passwords, credit card, banking information, and details about your personal health. Even if a site requires extra logins and authentications, the TikTok pixels are just collecting all that information and transferring it around the globe," "The CyberGuy" Kurt Knutsson warned in a Sunday report on Fox News Channel.
Even more concerning, the app's parent company ByteDance, which adheres to China's laws, would thereby be forced to share user data with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) if requested.
Several state governments and university systems have already cracked down on the app, banning its use on government-issued devices and on college campuses — but now the push has moved to Capitol Hill, where bipartisan concerns remain a conversational stronghold.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is interviewed at offices the company uses in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14, 2023. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a bipartisan bill last year that would effectively ban the app nationwide.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., also introduced bipartisan legislation known as the "RESTRICT Act" this month, moving toward banning the app along with others that originate in nations that pose a threat to U.S. national security.
While DeSantis looms as a potentially viable 2024 Republican alternative to current front-runner and former President Donald Trump, his stance could indicate a gloomy future for the app should he be elected to office and a measure to ban it come to his desk.
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Piers Morgan's exclusive Fox Nation interview with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is available for streaming on Fox Nation.
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