Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview that while the Biden administration has national security concerns over TikTok’s Chinese owner, it does not intend to ban the app.
Harris explained that TikTok allows for information sharing and discourse in a free way, and serves as an income generator.
“I do want to ask you also about TikTok. We know that bill cleared the house. You have expressed national security concerns over TikTok, so has the president, why does your campaign then have a TikTok account where you’re encouraging Americans to follow it?” ABC’s Rachel Scott asked.
The administration is concerned about the national security applications of TikTok’s owner.
Harris noted a ban could still happen if the app’s Chinese parent company does not sell it.
Harris said, “So let’s start with this. We do not intend to ban TikTok. That is not at all the goal or the purpose of this conversation. We need to deal with the owner and we have national security concerns about the owner of TikTok but we have no intention to ban TikTok–”
“It could–” Scott interjected.
“In fact, what it, it serves in terms of, it’s an income generator for many people. What it does in terms of allowing people to share information in a free way, in a way that allows people to have discourse is very important. But we do have concerns about the national security applications of the owner of TikTok and that has been our position in terms of what I think we need to do to address those concerns,” Harris cut in.
When asked if the campaign should stay on TikTok given these concerns, Harris said they will address that if it comes to it, but for now the focus is on the owner and national security implications, not banning the app itself.
“The ban could happen if its Chinese parent company does not sell the app. Should your campaign stay on TikTok with those national security concerns that you’re voicing?” Scott asked.
“Well, we’ll address that when we come to it. But right now, we are concerned about the owner of TikTok and the national security implications. We do not intend to ban TikTok and we understand its purpose and its utility and the enjoyment that it gives a lot of folks,” Harris said.
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