Texas Republican Backs Removing Chinese Ownership of Company Like TikTok

It’s best for a company like TikTok not to be owned by Chinese entities, Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, told C-Span's The Communicators, scheduled to be telecast this weekend. Removing TikTok’s Chinese ownership (see 2008240047) would “lower my blood pressure a little bit,” but the company’s past practices need scrutiny, he said. He noted discrepancies between how American companies are treated in China and vice versa: If American companies can’t fully operate in China, Chinese companies shouldn’t be able to operate fully in the U.S. The two nations should have reciprocity and if they don't, there should be consequences, he argued. Artificial intelligence is the future of cybersecurity, he said. The U.S. won’t win that war without public and private partnerships, he said, citing tenuous relations on U.S. government contracts with major U.S. tech companies, noting Google’s exit from DOD's Project Maven over employee concerns. Hurd said developing a national artificial intelligence strategy is a priority as he prepares to leave Congress.