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On Thursday, Congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson released a statement promising that she will lead efforts to block the influence of the Chinese-owned TikTok video app and prevent social media conglomerates from silencing conservatives on their platforms if elected to Congress.
Dobson, a Montgomery real estate attorney, is a Republican candidate for Alabama’s Second Congressional District seat.
“As relations between China and the U.S. continue to erode and every expert agrees that cyber warfare is a real and looming threat, more than 150 million Americans have willingly surrendered their personal information to the Chinese-owned TikTok video app,” Dobson said. “At the same time, those who express opinions contrary to woke ideas and liberal dogma on their social media pages are routinely sent to ‘Facebook jail’ or have their accounts permanently revoked like President [Donald] Trump.”
“When social media owners can silence a president and shadow ban all conservative thought with which they disagree, they assume the powers of Third World, Banana Republic dictators,” Dobson continued. “And when the Chinese Communist Party can access the personal information of millions of Americans at any time they wish, we are allowing them to weaponize the internet and placing their fingers upon the trigger.”
Dobson promised that she would join the ever-growing number of congressional conservatives who are sponsoring legislation and promoting ideas that will stem the control of social media by the Chinese government and extremist liberal interests.
Dobson noted that TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. and is by law obligated under China’s “National Intelligence Law” to turn over any information on its American users that is demanded by the ruling Communist Party. During a congressional hearing held earlier this year, the chief executive officer of TikTok also deflected questions about Community Party ties and influence within the company.
Dobson pointed to an internal company post by a senior Facebook engineer as evidence of the almost universal liberal domination of the popular social media platform and the contempt that conservative beliefs generate.
The post, which was reported by the New York Times, read: “We are a political monoculture that’s intolerant of different views. We claim to welcome all perspectives but are quick to attack — often in mobs — anyone who presents a view that appears to be in opposition to left-leaning ideology.”
Dobson has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a law degree from the Baylor School of Law.
She is married and has two children. She serves on the Alabama Forestry Commission and the Southeast Livestock Exposition and is a member of the Birmingham Chapter of the Federalist Society. Dobson grew up on a cattle farm in Alabama and excelled in high school rodeo.
Congressional District 2 has been heavily redrawn ahead of this election. Previously, CD2 was 28% Black. The court-appointed special master redrew Congressional District 2 so that it is now 48.7% Black. It includes all of Montgomery County, the eastern half of the Blackbelt, the northern half of the Wiregrass, and part of Alabama southwest, including most of the City of Mobile. According to data prepared by the special master, there is over a 94% likelihood that a Democrat will win the district.
The special master redistricted Second Congressional District incumbent Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) and all of Coffee County out of Congressional District 2 and into Congressional District 1. Moore is challenging incumbent Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) in the First District, so Congressional District 2 is a rare open seat.
State Senator Greg Albritton of Atmore, former State Senator Dick Brewbaker, real estate broker attorney Hampton Harris, former Congressional staffer and restauranteur Karla M. DuPriest, football star Wallace Gilberry, Stacey T. Shepperson, and Belinda Thomas are all also running in the Republican primary.
The major party primaries are on March 5. If necessary. There will be a Republican primary runoff election on April 16.
Thirteen Democrats are running in the Democratic primary.
The Republican and Democratic nominees will face off on the November 5 presidential election ballot.
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