(RepublicanDaily.org) – An ethics complaint was filed against Representative Ilhan Omar (D. Minnesota) following alleged abuses of government resources, Fox News reported. The ethics complaint was brought against Omar by The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust and presented to the Office of Congressional Ethics on March 29, The Washington Examiner reported.
Omar faced the ethics complaint due to her use of her personal TikTok account, which advisers have warned poses a risk to U.S. national security. While Congress mulls a nationwide ban of the platform, Omar openly opposes it, citing concerns about censorship, The Hill reported. At the time of this report, no formal ban had been extended to the entire United States.
Omar’s use of the platform has taken place after Congress motioned the platform ban in government offices. This followed testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who has warned that the platform can “drive narratives” and to “divide Americans,” Fox Business reported.
In March, Congress met with the CEO of TikTok Shou Zhi Chew to discuss how the company uses American citizens’ personal data. The hearing was broadcast by C-SPan and lasted for over five hours. Despite Chew’s testimony, members of Congress did not seem convinced that the TikTok company is doing enough to ensure the privacy of American citizens’ data from the Chinese communist regime, media analysts reported. TikTok is owned by the parent company ByteDance, an entity based in the PRC.
Due to legislation passed in 2017, all Chinese national businesses are required to report data and information to intelligence officials within the Chinese Communist regime. The National Intelligence Law was passed on June 27, 2017, with “unusual speed and limited public discussion,” Lawfare blog wrote.
On the grounds of this legislation, Congressmembers expressed concerns, during the hearing with Chew, that TikTok and its parent company ByteDance would be required by PRC leadership to hand over the data of private American citizens, at the behest of the Chinese regime.
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