'It's not going to go anywhere': Rep Michael Waltz breaks down implications of TikTok bill on 'Fox & Friends'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rep Michael Waltz (R-Fla) appeared alongside co-host Joey Jones to discuss the driving reason behind the bipartisan TikTok ban bill on the Easter Sunday, March 31 episode of 'Fox & Friends.'
Introducing the subject, Jones shared that according to polls conducted by Fox News between March 22 and 25, voters were split on the question of the app being banned, but overwhelmingly agreed on the requirement of parental controls for children under 13 to be on the platform.
The necessity of passing the bill
"At the end of the day, it's about our adversaries ... China, Iran, North Korea, Russia not having control of half of America's data ... At the end of the day, we can divest it," Waltz told Jones when asked about the working of the bill.
"This is about Bytedance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, more than it is about TikTok itself... You'll see a group of investors ... come out and buy TikTok. It's not going to go anywhere," he shared, claiming that it was finally all about "the Chinese Communist party not having control of the data and not being able to manipulate the algorithms without anybody knowing."
"We wouldn't have allowed it with the Soviet Union back in (the) Cold War, and when we have (the) Chinese Communist party that's openly talking about destroying America, replacing America, the decline of democracy, the decline of capitalism, and the rise of themselves, we have to divest of this propaganda tool," added Waltz.
Transfer of control
Jones questioned whether the bill would hand over the controlling authority of TikTok to the President of the United States, which would be a point of concern for conservatives.
"That's why we're putting it in law," replied the Congressman. "I don't think any president through executive order should have this power, that's why we have a bipartisan law - both sides of the aisle."
"Again, this is about China ... I am always nervous about the role of government and the role of information, but if you're nervous about that (as a) conservative... you should be even more nervous about our greatest adversary having that kind of control over information and what we believe," he concluded.
