Sen. Hawley to Propose Nationwide TikTok Ban

On Tuesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R.MO) stated that he would introduce legislation banning TikTok nationwide. He claimed it violates Americans’ privacy.

“.@tiktok_us is China’s backdoor into Americans’ lives. It threatens our children’s privacy as well as their mental health. Last month Congress banned it on all government devices. Now I will introduce legislation to ban it nationwide,” The Missouri populist wrote.

Hawley was a long-serving administrator at TikTok.

Sens. Hawley (R-F), and Rick Scott proposed March 2020: Legislation to ban TikTok devices from federal government agencies, citing cybersecurity concerns as well as possible spying by Chinese government.

Congress passed Hawley’s bill to ban TikTok, which was signed into law on December 29, 2022. The bill was included within the $4.75 trillion, 4,155-page Omnibus Spending Act.

Hawley has questioned tech executives about their companies’ potential compliance with Chinese law that could provide the Chinese Communist Party access to data that could endanger Americans’ privacy.

Public officials and pundits of all political stripes have claimed that TikTok poses a national security risk.

William Burns, Director of the CIA said During a December interview

I do. I mean, I think it’s a genuine concern, I think, for the U.S. government, in the sense that, because the parent company of TikTok is a Chinese company, the Chinese government is able to insist upon extracting the private data of a lot of TikTok users in this country, and also to shape the content of what goes onto TikTok as well to suit the interests of the Chinese leadership. These are serious challenges that I consider a real source of concern.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen echoed Burns’s remarks in a December interview, saying, “Well, it’s that private information could potentially end up in Chinese hands and used in ways that would negatively impact Americans. And there are a number of ways in which that could be — that concern, if it’s found to be significant, could be addressed.”

Hawley has questioned tech companies’ compliance with China’s laws since 2019:

Key testimony from today’s hearing: ANY company that is complying w/ China’s laws giving Beijing access to data is endangering Americans (that means@Apple &@tiktok_us (Or maybe even more).

Key testimony from today’s hearing: ANY company that is complying w/ China’s laws giving Beijing access to data is endangering Americans (that means @Apple & @tiktok_us (Or maybe even more). pic.twitter.com/GOuup34JuD

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) November 5, 2019

Many states, including the United States, have been able to ban TikTok federal devices since Scott and Hawley proposed legislation. Georgia, Montana, Alabama?, and IowaThe, have taken steps to ban the controversial Chinese social-media app from their state government devices.

Hawley wrote “Here’s TikTok acknowledging there are national security concerns with its platform! – but begging Congress not to ban it on government devices.”

Here’s TikTok acknowledging there are national security concerns with its platform! – but begging Congress not to ban it on government devices pic.twitter.com/PPpXCXHuQt

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 15, 2022

Donald Trump was a former President tried ByteDance was forced by TikTok’s parent company to stop using the social media app.