- New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman on Wednesday decried government efforts to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok as “racist.”
- During a press conference outside the Capitol Building, Bowman, flanked by dozens of social media influencers, as well as Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), urged lawmakers and the public to “not be racist towards China and express our xenophobia when it comes to TikTok.”
- The popular social-media platform, owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, has come under scrutiny amid concerns that ByteDance could allow the Chinese Communist Party access to user data.
Trending
This Is So On-Brand: Prominent Dem Says Banning TikTok Spyware Would Be ‘Racist’
In this photo illustration, the social media application logo, TikTok is displayed on the screen of an iPhone on April 13, 2020, in Arlington, Virginia - TikTok has pledged $250 million to local organizations around the world supporting healthcare, education, and struggling communities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
