Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) urged the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information about the security risks from TikTok. This request was made on Thursday, while the Senate thinks about a law that might stop the popular app.
Blumenthal and Blackburn expressed unease about the information revealed in recent secret meetings with the intelligence community in a letter to Director Avril Haines.
They stressed the importance of the public, especially TikTok users, understanding the security concerns while Congress and the administration discuss ways to address the app's connection to the Chinese government.
Last week, the House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill that would make ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, sell the app or else face a ban from U.S. app stores and web hosting services.
The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is now waiting for action in the Senate, where it's expected to face more opposition.
Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner (D-Va.), also wants to release classified information on TikTok's risks after a secret briefing with the intelligence community earlier this week.
Warner told reporters on Wednesday that they had a very impactful briefing.
He wants as much of the content as possible to be declassified, noting that the Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously to move the legislation forward after a similar briefing.
