Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said on Sunday that TikTok is collaborating with U.S. intelligence to enact precautions aimed at safeguarding the popular video-sharing platform from Chinese surveillance.
“I think there’s two ways to approach this one,” Booker told Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “The proactive step of banning and on government devices is something that the United States federal government is doing, states and even localities are doing.”
“But the other way to go about this is going directly to the company. They are now working with U.S. intelligence folks to try to make sure that the proper precautions are taken so the Chinese cannot get access and use it for spying,” he continued.
Congress and many state legislatures have passed bills banning TikTok on government devices, largely citing national security concerns. Two Republicans announced a bill last month to ban TikTok across all devices in the U.S., alleging that the application poses national security risks.
Booker also said on Sunday there’s a “strong bipartisan view” that action needs to be taken to meet potential threats that China could pose to the “safety, security and national secrets” of the U.S.
“This is something we have to take seriously,” he said. “It is an issue for American companies who have their secrets stolen. It is an issue that we have to have around our military.”
Updated at 12:11 p.m.