WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation issued the following statement today reaffirming support for efforts to force TikTok to divest from its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance. The statement comes days after President Donald Trump’s latest executive order extending the deadline for TikTok’s compliance with the legislation requiring divestment. 

Jeff Smith, director of the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation, and Wesley Hodges, acting director of the Tech Policy Center at The Heritage Foundation commented on the president’s executive order:  

“TikTok is a persistent national security threat as long as its algorithm and user data can be accessed and manipulated in China by those answerable to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). That includes TikTok's parent company, ByteDance.  

 

“Last year, House Republicans passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. The law followed years of effort by Heritage and other conservative groups across the country demanding TikTok sever ties with the CCP or be banned from operating in the U.S. In a 9-0 decision this January, the Supreme Court rejected TikTok's arguments and unanimously upheld the law.  

 

“The safety and privacy of over one hundred million American children depend on decisive action now. According to the law, TikTok cannot survive in the United States without a full, verifiable, enforceable divestment from Chinese entities. President Trump has signaled he is committed to achieving a divestment, and we support his tariff strategy to pressure Beijing into accepting a sale of TikTok.    

 

“Fortunately, the first Trump administration had an excellent track record of holding China accountable. It was the first to recognize the folly of decades of failed engagement policies and bring the hammer down on Beijing, using tariffs and sanctions to level the playing field. It beefed up support for Taiwan and built new partnerships with India and the Quad. It rightly blamed the Chinese government for a lab leak that killed over one million Americans. It also understood the concept of reciprocity: if most American apps are banned from operating in China, malicious Chinese apps shouldn't get a free pass here. That's why the first Trump administration advocated so strongly for a TikTok ban in the U.S.   

 

The Heritage Foundation encourages President Trump to continue his legacy on China and ensure that TikTok either be pried from the clutches of the CCP or be banished from American phones.” 

 

BACKGROUND:  

The Heritage Foundation has led the fight to protect Americans from TikTok for years, calling for restrictions on the CCP-controlled app and supporting legislation to get China out the pockets of hundreds of millions of Americans. 

• The Heritage Foundation: TikTok Generation: A CCP Official in Every Pocket 

• The Heritage Foundation: Government Officials Need To Ban TikTok From Operating in the U.S. 

• The Heritage Foundation: Don’t Save TikTok, Save America From TikTok