WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) joined their colleagues in calling on President Biden to delete his TikTok account. TikTok, owned by Chinese Company ByteDance, has been highlighted as a national security threat to the United States by members of Congress, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White House.

“Over the past several years, officials from both sides of the aisle have cautioned Americans against downloading TikTok and worked to eliminate national security risks posed by the app,” the senators wrote. “We urge you to delete your account and publicly acknowledge the national security threat posed by TikTok.”

In 2020, Sen. Moran called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate TikTok’s consumer data collection and processing practices. Sen. Moran later raised concerns over the risks TikTok poses to U.S. national security and consumer privacy and called for structural restrictions on TikTok’s American operations. Last year, Sen. Moran joined his colleagues in introducing the RESTRICT Act, comprehensive legislation that would address the ongoing threat posed by technology from foreign adversaries.

Joining the letter were Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Representatives Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Bill Posey (R-Fla.), John Rutherford (R-Fla.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.).

The full text of the letter is here and below.

Dear Mr. President:

On February 11, 2024, during Super Bowl LVIII, your campaign made its first post on TikTok, a social-media platform owned by ByteDance, a company subject to the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). TikTok endangers national security, and this concern is aggravated by the platform’s appeal to young people in the United States. We therefore urge you to delete your account and set a better example for the American people by restating that TikTok is a national security threat.

Over the past several years, officials from both sides of the aisle have cautioned Americans against downloading TikTok and worked to eliminate national security risks posed by the app. For example, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray said that TikTok “screams out with national security concerns.” Paul Nakasone, former commander of U.S. Cyber Command and former Director of the National Security Agency, also called TikTok a “loaded gun.”

Furthermore, you supported legislation banning TikTok from government devices. Presumably you signed this legislation into law due to the privacy risks associated with the app. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has gone a step further, imposing a TikTok prohibition on DoD contractors. Several universities have also adopted this ban.

In short, there was a time when your administration publicly stated the threat posed by TikTok. It is incredibly troubling, then, that you are now ignoring TikTok’s well-established national security risks.

How can the federal government warn Americans about the risks of this app if the Commander in Chief uses it, too? Why should government employees be expected to honor a ban on official devices when the President rebuts the core justification for the law? And why should Americans believe you will protect them from foreign threats, when your use of the platform suggests disregard for well-known national security threats? The office of the presidency is about leadership. By downloading TikTok, you are setting a poor example for the American people, while making them less safe for the bargain.

We urge you to delete your account and publicly acknowledge the national security threat posed by TikTok. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

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