Lawmakers urge President Trump to take action on TikTok, DeepSeek over national security concerns
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) on Wednesday led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in sending a letter to President Donald Trump, calling for immediate action on Chinese-linked tech companies TikTok and DeepSeek due to what they described as national security risks.
The letter, co-led by Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), urges the administration to clarify its approach to regulating foreign-owned platforms operating in the U.S., specifically those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Lawmakers expressed concern over TikTok’s status as a primary news source for Americans under 30, citing reports of the platform promoting content deemed anti-American and antisemitic. They also criticized recent extensions allowing TikTok more time to separate from its Chinese parent company, as well as the administration’s stance on DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence company alleged to have accessed sensitive data and disseminated pro-CCP messaging.
“Like many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, we share concerns about how social media platforms operate, including issues related to content moderation, privacy, children’s mental health, and data protection,” the lawmakers wrote. “There is a clear distinction between American companies that are accountable under U.S. law and foreign-owned platforms like TikTok and DeepSeek.”
The group called for the Trump administration to comply with existing laws and clarify its policy toward companies with reported ties to adversarial governments.
The letter was also signed by Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.).
