U.S. Senators agree —TikTok has no place on government devices.
According to a report from The Hill, U.S. Senators unanimously approved an act on Wednesday that would ban Chinese social media app TikTok from all government devices over privacy and data-stealing concerns.
From The Hill:
The “No TikTok on Government Devices Act,” introduced by Sen.Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), was passed via unanimous consent late Wednesday, meaning that no member objected to the bill. The proposal would “prohibit certain individuals from downloading or using TikTok on any device issued by the United States or a government corporation.”
The move comes as state governments, especially those led by Republicans, have taken steps to limit the use of the app on state-owned devices. Thirteen states overall have taken action against TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-owned entity. Eleven of those actions have taken place since the beginning of the month.
“TikTok is a Trojan Horse for the Chinese Communist Party. It’s a major security risk to the United States, and until it is forced to sever ties with China completely, it has no place on government devices,” Hawley said in a statement. “States across the U.S. are banning TikTok on government devices. It’s time for Joe Biden and the Democrats to help do the same.”
A TikTok spox responded to the legislation, saying it’s “a proposal which does nothing to advance U.S. national security interests.”
“Once again, Sen. Hawley has moved forward with legislation to ban TikTok on government devices, a proposal which does nothing to advance U.S. national security interests. We hope that rather than continuing down that road, he will urge the Administration to move forward on an agreement that would actually address his concerns,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
More over at The Hill:
Senate votes to ban TikTok use on government devices https://t.co/jDReyOate6 pic.twitter.com/oAirqmtliX
— The Hill (@thehill) December 15, 2022
