Rep. Amesty blasts TikTok court filing, says company is clearly controlled by China

WINDERMERE, Fla. – Rep. Carolina Amesty, R-Windermere, blasted TikTok’s recent federal court filing, arguing that it’s “now made clear” that its U.S. operations are controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

“As TikTok’s own court filings have now made clear, their U.S. operations are directly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,” Amesty said. “This isn’t a ‘conspiracy theory’—it’s a simple fact that has already been confirmed by American intelligence agencies and that TikTok’s parent company has finally acknowledged.”

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, filed a lawsuit after President Joe Biden signed federal legislation requiring TikTok be sold to a company not controlled by a foreign adversary if it is to continue operation in the U.S.

The lawsuit centers around First Amendment rights, as the company claims the law is unconstitutional and violates the freedom of expression.

“In response, I introduced bipartisan legislation last year to restrict the app on state-owned devices in Florida, an initiative that was later bolstered by federal legislation,” she said. “We welcome social media companies in our state, so long as they are not controlled by foreign adversaries.”

“The risks to our families, our personal privacy and our national security are simply too great,” she added.

Amesty helped Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, champion legislation that ultimately prevented the popular short-form video app from being downloaded and used on state government issued devices.

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost were the only two members of Florida’s congressional delegation to vote against the bill.

“Rest assured – we aren’t going anywhere,” ByteDance CEO Shou Zi Chew said after the bill was signed. “The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail again.”