(Bloomberg) -- House Oversight Chair James Comer ratcheted up pressure on the Biden administration to force TikTok Inc. to register as a foreign agent, a move that would place new scrutiny on the social media company’s ties to the Chinese government. 

“The risks in failing to do so are high, especially at a time when many Americans, particularly young people, seek and trust social media content on tech platforms as primary sources of information, counsel, and comfort,” Comer wrote in a letter Thursday to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Comer, whose effort has bipartisan backing, said there’s mounting evidence that TikTok, owned by ByteDance Ltd., is used to advance China’s agenda. The Biden administration, he added, has acknowledged those concerns by banning TikTok on federal employees’ government-owned devices. 

TikTok has denied these claims and said it operates independently from the Chinese government.

The panel is also investigating AJ+, which is owned by Qatar-based company Al Jazeera. 

Neither company immediately responded to a request for comment. A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed receipt of Comer’s letter, but would not comment on its claims or other content.

Registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act requires disclosures from people or companies that may be engaging in propaganda activities for or on behalf of foreign governments, parties or other institutions. 

Comer also noted reports that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has demanded, on national security grounds, that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their shares in the company; that the US military prohibited members from using TikTok on government-issued devices, signaling security risk concerns; and that the Biden administration has since extended the ban to all federal employees.

In his letter, Comer demanded documents by Feb. 22 related to TikTok’s or Al Jazeera’s FARA registration status, and any communications about how DOJ decides whether to sue or prosecute for failure to register.

--With assistance from Emily Birnbaum.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.