Lawmakers in the United States have approved legislation that would prevent the use of TikTok on any government-owned equipment.
The bill, which is the most recent attempt by legislators to restrict the app's use, was passed by the Senate. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, introduced the 'No TikTok on Government Devices Act', which was ultimately passed with unanimous approval, as per Independent.
US Bans TikTok
This is the latest act by legislators on the popular short-form video app that has amassed over a billion users worldwide. Because China exerts so much control over TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, US authorities are concerned that the Chinese government would gain access to the app's user data.
The Republican representative from Colorado in the House, Ken Buck, presented a similar bill last year. The House Oversight Committee still needs to give its stamp of approval. While the Senate has passed legislation regulating TikTok, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that it is unclear whether the House will take up the bill because members are still working with White House officials on its content.
TikTok and the US government have been in negotiations that could allow the app to continue serving US users, and the latest legislative action comes as the negotiations near a conclusion. TikTok and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States have been in talks for years, albeit behind closed doors. There have been allegations of delays in the negotiations recently as this year.
There has been some dissatisfaction among legislators at the seeming lack of progress in those talks. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia and an outspoken critic of TikTok, expressed his frustration with the legislative process after Wednesday's vote, saying, My patience is running out.
TikTok, along with other apps based in, or under the substantial influence of, countries that are considered foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela, was among those targeted by a bill introduced on Tuesday by US lawmakers led by Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio to ban them across the country.
Rubio voiced considerable exasperation when he introduced the bill, stating that the federal government has yet to take concrete action. Nonetheless, several senators have avoided fully endorsing Rubio's idea.
These senators include Warner and Hawley. This past Thursday, Hawley expressed his approval of a potential agreement between the United States government and TikTok to protect the personal information of American citizens. Hawley warned that more arduous steps might be necessary if the group did not comply with his demands, according to CNN.
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US Previously Expressed Concern Over The Chinese App
Last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress and warned that the Chinese government might use the technology to manage data gathering of millions of users or manipulate the recommendation algorithm, which may be used for influence operations.
In addition, he has expressed concern that it may be used to gain access to other apps on the phone and thereby increase the amount of data the device can gather and transmit.
Fears have grown to the point that five states have banned their employees from installing the program.
On Monday, Alabama and Utah followed South Dakota, Texas, and Maryland in banning TikTok use on state-issued smartphones. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a message released on Monday that the app would be banned because it disturbingly captures large quantities of data, which has no valid link to the app's purported purpose of video sharing.
A state's IT infrastructure is especially vulnerable to Chinese infiltration if used with the video-sharing app TikTok. Other countries may follow suit, Daily Mail reported.
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