U.S. House Committee Unveils TikTok Threats in Classified Hearing

A U.S. House committee voted to release a transcript of a classified hearing on TikTok's national security threats. The Justice Department is defending a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. assets. Legal challenges are ongoing, with a court set to address the issues in September.

The U.S. House of Representatives committee has voted to release a transcript from a classified March hearing focused on the potential security threats posed by TikTok to the Department of Justice's legal efforts. This move comes amidst growing concerns over TikTok's handling of American user data under its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

In light of a law signed by President Joe Biden, the DOJ is urging asset divestiture by ByteDance. If unheeded by January 2025, TikTok could face a ban affecting its 170 million U.S. users. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers noted the unyielding stance of China in relinquishing control, corroborating fears of misuse of the app for nefarious purposes.

The Justice Department is slated to respond to ongoing lawsuits by July 26, with oral arguments scheduled for September. The intelligence briefing outlined the significant national security risks posed by TikTok, citing extensive data collection capabilities and potential exploitation by the Chinese government.

(With inputs from agencies.)