Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress on Tuesday that the United States “cannot rule out” that China could use TikTok to influence the 2024 U.S. elections.
Haines made the comment at a House Intelligence Committee hearing after being asked by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) if the Chinese Communist Party intended to use the controversial social media app, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, to influence the November election.
“We cannot rule out that the CCP would use it,” Haines replied.
Haines’s testimony comes one day before a highly anticipated vote on legislation banning TikTok in the U.S.
The popular short-form video app has been heavily scrutinized by Congress for years over its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. It now faces a forced sale or a national ban after Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) introduced the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act last week.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The bill would force TikTok’s owner, the Beijing-based ByteDance, to sell the app to a domestic buyer or have it banned in the U.S. The House is expected to vote on Gallagher’s bill Wednesday, giving TikTok a shrinking window to change representatives’ minds. The platform is trying to sway lawmakers through a variety of means.
President Joe Biden has said he would sign the legislation were it to reach his desk, while former President Donald Trump currently opposes such a ban.
Christopher Hutton contributed to this report.
