"The policies and practices of ByteDance and TikTok represent an attempt by the CCP to assert their authoritarian agenda through soft power," Smith said.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Smith said,"The manipulation of TikTok users – especially children – to lobby on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party’s interests by inundating congressional offices, including mine, with phone calls only underscores the urgent need for strong action to combat the CCP’s malign influence, which extends far beyond its borders even to Americans."
As chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Smith said he "extensively monitored the policies and methods the People’s Republic of China (PRC) security forces have employed to exert intrusive social controls over their own population."
"As you know, TikTok parent ByteDance, which is headquartered in the PRC with offices in Bejing, is compelled to participate in a strategic partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. It appears the corporate structure of Bytedance Ltd., ByteTeam Ltd., TikTok Ltd., TikTok LLC, and TikTok Inc. are designed to provide layers of insulation to the CCP in its attempts to transform the character of America’s social fabric," he continued.
BILL BANNING TIKTOK APP HEADED TO HOUSE AFTER UNANIMOUS COMMITTEE VOTE
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
In speaking to Fox News on Friday, Rep. Rep Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., who co-authored the bipartisan bill, said that TikTok’s lobby efforts "completely backfired."
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"[T]hat proves the point of why people wanted to pass the legislation. The fact that they use geolocation targeting to go after minor children, to call congressional offices with misinformation about the bill, caused so many members on the U.S. committee to vote in favor of the bill. That's precisely the reason for the bill," he said.
TikTok did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
Brianna Herlihy is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
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