TikTok: National Security, Protection of Minors, or Other Concerns?

Dr. Mei Gechlik, Founder and CEO of SINOTALKS^®, was quoted in this article published by China Daily.  In the same article, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky reportedly stated, “Reactionaries who want to ban TikTok claim the data can’t be secured because the ‘algorithm’ is in China.  Not true.  The truth is the algorithm runs in the U.S. in oracle cloud with their review of the code.”

This suggests that the proposed TikTok ban is not due to national security concerns.  Nor is it driven by the need to protect minors; otherwise, other problematic social media platforms should also be banned.  The U.S. Senate needs to consider what the TikTok ban is really about.