[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM FOREIGN ADVERSARY CONTROLLED APPLICATIONS ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. VAL T. HOYLE

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 13, 2024

  Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I will vote in opposition to H.R. 
7521, the so-called ``Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary 
Controlled Applications Act.'' This bill would force the sale of the 
social media application TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is 
based in China.
  Let me be clear: I share the national security concerns of many that 
the Chinese government is collecting Americans' personal data via 
TikTok. However, I believe H.R. 7521 is an inadequate proposal that 
unconstitutionally singles out a specific company, setting a dangerous 
precedent. Additionally, by restricting access to a social media 
application, I believe this bill threatens Americans' constitutional 
rights to free speech, expression and a free press.
  I also believe the bill's provisions to force ByteDance to divest 
from TikTok within 180 days are unrealistic. In reality, a sale of this 
magnitude could trigger an antitrust acquisition review in the United 
States--a process that could take up to a year or longer. During this 
period, TikTok users in the U.S. could lose access to the app.
  This bill also ignores the fact that the Chinese government and other 
public and private entities around the world--including the U.S. 
government--are still able to purchase Americans' private information 
from third-party brokers. That's why I support comprehensive privacy 
reforms to protect Americans' constitutional right to privacy and close 
the data broker loophole.
  The United States has rightfully criticized other countries for 
infringing on the rights of their own citizens by restricting free 
speech and censoring access to the internet. However, H.R. 7521's 
restriction of Americans' free speech and singling out of one company 
makes us no better than our adversaries, and it invites reciprocal 
attacks from other countries on U.S.-based companies.
  We must not forget that the U.S. government also engages in what I 
strongly believe to be unconstitutional surveillance and collection of 
Americans' personal data and communications. If TikTok were sold to a 
U.S.-based company, I'm not convinced that American users' private data 
would be secure.
  Instead of rushing a vote on a bill that was written behind closed 
doors without proper debate, Congress should pass comprehensive data 
privacy and security reform legislation that protects Americans from 
unconstitutional data collection by all companies, governments, and 
digital applications--not just one.

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