US Senate Passes Bill to Ban TikTok from Government-Owned Devices

A bill was passed by the United States Senate on Wednesday that would ban the social media application TikTok on federal government devices, as the government is concerned regarding the data security over the app and its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance.

(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 07: In this photo illustration, the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on August 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that bans any transactions between the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, and U.S. citizens due to national security reasons. The president signed a separate executive order banning transactions with China-based tech company Tencent, which owns the app WeChat. Both orders are set to take effect in 45 days.

Banning TikTok from Government-Owned Devices

The United States Senate unanimously approved a bill that would ban federal employees from using the application TikTok on all government devices, as the government worries about the data security of the app and its parent company ByteDance.

According to CNET, this bill was introduced by GOP Senator Josh Hawley. Before it becomes a law, the bill must pass the House and be signed by President Joe Biden.

This comes after federal agencies such as the State Department and Department of Homeland Security have also done the same move. Several states have also banned the application on state-owned devices over security concerns

Hawley stated, "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."

The director of the Office of Management and Budget will have to develop standards and guidelines for executive agencies to remove TikTok from these devices, with exceptions for law enforcement and national security activities, as per the bill.

TikTok's Response

CBS News reported that a spokesperson released a statement regarding the Senate's approval and it states that the proposal does nothing to advance the United States' 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," the statement added.

Several States Issued TikTok Bans

Multiple states have already issued a ban on the application to state-owned devices since 2020, especially Republican states. These include South Dakota, Maryland, Texas, Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.

Based on a report from Engadget, Georgia becomes the latest state to ban TikTok from government-owned devices. Aside from TikTok, Governor Brian Kemp also prohibited state agencies from using WeChat and Telegram.

Kemp stated, "The state of Georgia has a responsibility to prevent any attempt to access and infiltrate its secure data and sensitive information by foreign adversaries such as the Chinese Communist Party."