In a recent interview with ABC News, Democrat Representative Ro Khanna expressed his concerns about the TikTok bill passed by the House of Representatives last week. Khanna argued that the legislation, aimed at forcing ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to sell the popular app, does not effectively protect Americans' private information. Instead, Khanna advocated for a more comprehensive approach to prevent foreign countries from obtaining sensitive data.

The bill, driven by concerns that ByteDance could share Americans' data with the Chinese government, received broad bipartisan support in the House. However, Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley in California, voted against it, citing First Amendment concerns. He highlighted that the bill fails to address two crucial national security issues: whether data could reach a foreign government, specifically the Chinese Communist Party, and if the party could influence algorithms.

Khanna proposed a solution that includes the passing of a narrowly tailored law to ban any data transfer to a foreign country, as well as safeguard against foreign interference in social media apps. He also emphasized the importance of regulating data brokers that sell information to Chinese companies. In his view, the current bill does not adequately address these issues, prompting his opposition.

The debate over TikTok's potential risks and the appropriateness of the bill raged on Capitol Hill, with China hawks from both parties supporting the forced-sale measure, and free speech advocates, like Khanna, opposing it. The bill's fate in the Senate remains uncertain, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not committed to bringing it up for a floor vote. However, the White House has expressed support for the legislation.

Khanna asserted that a more effective solution would consist of multiple steps, including the passage of a law prohibiting data collection by apps like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, which has been stalled in the House Commerce Committee for years. He also called for legal ramifications for companies like Oracle and TikTok if evidence of data transfer to China emerges, as well as penalties for any foreign national manipulating algorithms.

When asked about the feasibility of enacting such comprehensive legislation, Khanna asserted that it would be "easier" to pass than the current bill and emphasized that preventing data transfer and collection would directly address the issue at hand.

Additionally, Khanna addressed concerns from TikTok users who fear a potential ban, arguing that migrating to another app would be difficult due to differences in audience and functionality. He urged a broader focus on passing data privacy laws and banning foreign interference, stressing that these issues extend beyond just TikTok.

Representative Khanna, a prominent surrogate for President Biden's re-election bid, also spoke on the president's handling of the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. He commended President Biden's willingness to listen to critics of Israel's response and endorsed the administration's call for a ceasefire.

As the TikTok bill awaits potential Senate consideration, Rep. Ro Khanna's criticism highlights the need for a comprehensive legislative approach to safeguard American data privacy and combat foreign interference in social media platforms.

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