White House Reverses Course, Gives Congress Green Light to Pass Bill Banning TikTok

WASHINGTON—The White House has reversed direction this week, saying it would support a Senate bill that would outlaw TikTok in the United States.

Since 2012, Biden’s administration has been stuck in limbo over the issue of how to address the Chinese-owned mobile application threat that poses a national security risk.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Adviser, welcomed Tuesday’s bipartisan bill which would permit the Biden administration ban the video-sharing application.

“This legislation would empower the United States government to prevent certain foreign governments from exploiting technology services operating in the United States in a way that poses risks to Americans’ sensitive data and our national security,” He stated this in a statement.

“We look forward to continue working with both Democrats and Republicans on this bill, and urge Congress to act quickly to send it to the President’s desk.”

On Tuesday, Sens. Senators. introduced This measure is called the Restricting the Emergence of Security threats that Risk Information Technology (RESTRICT Act). Due to growing concerns about the possibility that the app might be used to spy upon Americans, the bipartisan bill seeks to ban the app completely.

Last week, Republican-sponsored bill Similar goals were passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a party-line vote.

For the past two years, the Biden administration has been trying to find ways to address the threat posed by TikTok—the most popular mobile app among teens in the country with roughly 100 million monthly active users.

Joe Biden, the President of the United States signed legislation in December 2022 that prohibited federal workers from using TikTok with their government devices. A minimum of 30 states have also taken legal action to stop TikTok from being used on their government devices.

Critics of China’s ruling communist Party (CCP), however, have long advocated that TikTok be banned from the United States.

The current anti-TikTok backlash is fueled by fears that TikTok’s Chinese owners, Beijing-based ByteDance has access to the personal data of millions more American users. Critics suggest that ByteDance may be forced to hand over data on American users by the CCP.

Since 2002, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been investigating TikTok to see if China’s use of sensitive data is a threat to national security.

The Biden administration investigated ways that TikTok could be forced to sell its U.S. operations as part of this investigation. There were a variety of views within the administration that led to a disagreement. stalemate, as the Wall Street Journal reported late last year.

In his last months of office, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok by issuing an executive order. However, several federal courts overturned his order. Biden overturned Trump’s executive orders after he took office. Biden suggested using an “evidence-based approach” To determine if TikTok was actually a threat to U.S. security.

‘Very Insidious’ App

American average users spend approximately $1000 80 minutes TikTok spends more per day than Instagram and Facebook combined.

Arthur Herman (a Hudson Institute senior fellow) is the director of Quantum Alliance Initiative. The algorithm that TikTok uses to attract its users in controllable ways and was responsible for the app’s incredible success.

This algorithm, which was created by engineers of the parent company is “incredibly sophisticated,”He told The Epoch Times interview with Jan.

“It’s a lot more sophisticated than anything American engineers have done in platforms like Facebook, or Twitter, or even Google,” He noted.

It’s also “very insidious” Herman stated that it ought to be outlawed completely.

Questions about the reasons the White House decided now was the right time to take legislative action were not answered by them. They also declined to address whether the White House was discouraged from answering questions regarding the ongoing negotiations between TikTok, CFIUS and CFIUS.

“We have said we have concerns with this particular app, TikTok,” Karine Jean-Pierre is White House Press Secretary told reporters On Wednesday

“And we’ve always said protecting Americans—especially as it relates to national security—is a priority for this President. And that’s what you’re seeing. You know, CFIUS is doing its review. There’s bipartisanship in Congress.  And I think that’s an important way to move forward.”