North Michigan News

Rep. Jack Bergman has voiced his support for the bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing foreign adversaries from owning social media companies. The legislation, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, received an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 352-61-1.

In a statement following the vote, Rep. Bergman emphasized the importance of keeping social media platforms free from influence by foreign adversaries. He stated, "It’s pretty simple - social media companies owned by the Communist Chinese Party should not be influencing our children and they should not be able to indoctrinate American users."

Rep. Bergman clarified the purpose of the legislation, saying, "This bill does not ban TikTok - it simply requires any company controlled by a foreign adversary to sell the app within 180 days or be removed from U.S. app stores." He also pointed out the negative reaction from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to efforts to ensure that a CCP-controlled company is not running TikTok.

Highlighting the national security concerns associated with foreign-controlled social media companies, Rep. Bergman highlighted the potential for divisive propaganda and data gathering. He warned, "The CCP is actively engaging in these activities, and through TikTok they have the clear ability to push divisive propaganda by manipulating their algorithm while gathering data on millions of Americans."

In conclusion, Rep. Bergman emphasized the importance of being vigilant against threats posed by countries like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia in the realm of cyber warfare. He stated, "We must be aware of the threat posed to our National Security by countries like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The future of the fight is cyber warfare."