US Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai Thursday, calling for the removal of TikTok from both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store.
“TikTok collects vast and sophisticated data from its users, including faceprints and voiceprints,” Bennet wrote. “Unlike most social media platforms, TikTok poses a unique concern because Chinese law obligates ByteDance, its Beijing-based parent company, to ‘support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work.'”
The social media app has faced growing concerns from US lawmakers over security concerns. The FBI has called the app a national security threat, and the Biden administration reportedly pushed for the app’s owners to sell its US operations.
“Given these grave and growing concerns, I ask that you remove TikTok from your respective app stores immediately,” Bennet wrote.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has agreed to testify before a House of Representatives committee in March. A TikTok spokesperson previously told CNET the company welcomes the chance to “set the record straight about TikTok, ByteDance, and the commitments we are making to address concerns about U.S. national security.”
Governors across the US have banned TikTok from state-run devices and wireless networks over privacy and data security issues. Ohio, New Jersey and Georgia are among the states to ban the app from state-owned devices.
For more, check out why US states are banning TikTok and what to know about TikTok’s national security concerns.
