Navarro on TikTok: "The mothers of America" have to worry about China tracking their kids

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Monday that the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok poses a threat to privacy and national security, telling the Axios Re:Cap podcast, "Let's not downplay the threat here: the mothers of America have to worry about whether the Chinese Communist Party knows where their children are."

Why it matters: Navarro, a fervent China hawk, is among the voices shaping White House policy on TikTok, which President Trump said Monday must be sold by Sept. 15 in order to avoid a U.S. ban. Navarro suggested that if Microsoft is allowed to buy TikTok, the company should be forced to make unrelated concessions related to its China operations.

What he's saying: "There are really two issues, privacy and national security. And it's simple question for the mothers of America. It's 12 o'clock. Do you know if the Chinese Communist Party knows where your children are?" Navarro said.

• "Let's not be foolish about this. We're getting attacked every day by the Chinese Communist Party. They rip us off for half a trillion dollars a year of intellectual property. And the idea that somehow, these innocent fun little applications are innocent and fun only, is laughable."

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