TikTok & Congress

While we didn’t get the result we hoped for in this month’s California Senate primary race, I’m still in Congress serving out my term as the Congresswoman for California’s 47th district. I plan to continue using this Substack account to write about politics and policy, through posts like the one you’ll see below. I hope you’ll stick around!

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Like many Americans, my kids have been asking: Is Congress really going to ban Tiktok? The House voted the other week on a bill that could lead to a ban of the app, and now it lies in the Senate’s hands. I voted against the potential ban, and I want to explain why.

Let me start by saying I have real concerns about data privacy and safety on TikTok, and we must take these security concerns seriously.

But I voted no on this bill because legislators should make careful policy—not rushed, out-of-touch decisions that don’t engage Americans. 

The way I see it, being in Congress is a teaching and learning job. 

It’s our job to learn from experts about the threats TikTok and other tech companies pose, and assess that risk. It’s our job to ask the tough questions and make sure we make informed, thoughtful policies.

But we also need to teach the American public about what we learn. There’s a reason Americans were calling congressional offices non-stop the week this bill was up for a vote. Millions of Americans rely on TikTok to promote a business, make a living, or find community. Taking that away from people without a thorough and thoughtful conversation isn’t the right move—it only further erodes peoples already low trust in our elected officials.

While the threat posed by TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party’s ability to influence Americans is unique and dangerous, my concerns about data privacy don't start and end with TikTok. Congress must take data security seriously, whether that data is owned by a foreign company or a U.S. owned one.

Our conversation about TikTok is far from over. Thanks for following along!

Katie Porter