Senator Chuck Schumer understands well the national-security threat posed by leaving one of the country’s most popular media platforms in the hands of a foreign adversary. “TikTok is not as innocent as it sounds,” he said. “It is owned by a Chinese-based AI company called ByteDance. Just about every company like this is controlled or owned by the government.”
Right on all counts. The thing is, that was February 2020, and Schumer has so far failed to express any support for the House-passed legislation to force ByteDance to sell TikTok beyond his vague statement about how the Senate may be able to make progress on the question.
Schumer Offers to Work with Senate Republicans to Advance Hotly Contested TikTok Bill
As it returns from recess today, the Senate approaches a hinge point. The bill’s outcome is a barometer of how serious American politicians are about dealing with the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party.
