TikTok foreign agent designation pressed by House Republican

A top House Republican is threatening to subpoena the Justice Department to determine whether the agency is investigating whether TikTok is violating U.S. laws that require agents of foreign powers to register with the government.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is giving the department until April 15 to produce documents on whether it is investigating the popular video-sharing app for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act or else he will seek to compel the information through a subpoena, according to a letter he sent on Monday to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Comer said the same applies to concerns about Al Jazeera’s operation in the U.S.

“The evidence that TikTok and Al Jazeera are operating at the behest of foreign principals is substantial, but they continue to operate without registration,” Comer wrote. “The Department’s lack of transparency continues to raise questions about its commitment to the objective enforcement of FARA.”

The move represents the latest hurdles that TikTok faces in response to mounting bipartisan criticism that it represents a U.S. national security threat because the app is owned by Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd.

The House passed a bill last month that would force ByteDance to sell the app or it will be banned in the U.S. Senators are currently considering the legislation and what, if any, change to make to it.

The Justice Department has maintained a position that TikTok can continue to operate in the U.S. as long as it is severed from its Chinese owner. Justice officials warn that TikTok is subject to Chinese national security laws that can require turning over data and algorithms to the state, raising the possibility that Beijing could obtain troves of information on U.S. users or use the app to influence American politics.