"We are writing to urge the Department of Justice to open an investigation into reported violations of Americans’ civil liberties by Zoom and TikTok and the national security implications of both companies’ relationships with the People’s Republic of China," the senators wrote.
Blumenthal and Hawley expressed their extreme concern that Zoom and TikTok had disclosed private information about Americans to China and that they had engaged in censorship on behalf of the Chinese government.
"As tens of millions of Americans turn to Zoom and TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, few know that the privacy of their data and their freedom of expression is under threat due to the relationship of these companies to the Chinese government," the senators wrote.
Both Zoom and TikTok had sought to conceal and distract from their meaningful ties to China, holding themselves out as American companies and this concealment was "alarming," the letter said.
China has repeatedly denied US allegations around stealing private information from American citizens.