AOC opposes TikTok ban as lawmakers target the app

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has made a TikTok account and is voicing her opposition to a nationwide ban on the platform's use, despite bipartisan concerns about the app's ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced this week that the lower chamber is preparing to advance a nationwide ban following a "concerning" hearing last week in which the company CEO struggled to address lawmakers' concerns.

AOC's first video on the platform included her voicing opposition to its ban. "The United States has never before banned a social media company from existence, from operating in our borders, and this is an app that has over 150 million Americans on it," she said, per the Washington Times. Her account is @aocinthehouse.

The federal government has already issued guidance banning the app from official devices while many states have enacted similar bans.

Public opinion polling suggests that a clear majority of Americans support pulling the app from major digital marketplaces. Numerous federal officials such as FBI Director Christopher Wray have warned that the app poses a significant security risk.

A full ban has a solid chance of clearing the Republican-majority House, while in the narrowly-divided Senate, at least one Democrat has emerged as a major critic of the Chinese-owned platform.

Virginia Democrat Sen. Mark Warner has championed bipartisan legislation empowering the federal government to review and potentially ban certain technologies that U.S. intelligence considers a threat.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.