Senators to Introduce Bill to Add TikTok to Foreign Tech Ban

Two U.S. senators are expected to file legislation this week which would open the door for the government. “ban or prohibit” foreign technology businesses in the United States—including the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has revealed.

TikTok is a possible alternative. “one of the potentials” Warner, who is the head of Senate Intelligence Committee will be taking the proposal to the bipartisan legislature, into consideration told Fox News Sunday April 5.

Warner voiced concern over Tiktok “could be a propaganda tool … to promote ideological issues” Based on what types of videos users can see, it is classified as a “video sharing” site.

Warner stated that Warner’s proposed legislation would provide the following: “in terms of foreign technology coming into America, we’ve got to have a systemic approach to make sure we can ban or prohibit it when necessary.”

The content Tiktok offers young Chinese users is compared to the one that the American application promotes to them in America.

“If you look at what Tiktok shows to the Chinese kids, which is all about science and engineering, versus what our kids see, there’s a radical difference,” He stated.

Warner announced that he would present the bill together with Senator John Thune (R.S.D.). Warner representatives stated that an announcement is expected for March 7.

Bipartisan efforts to purge Tiktok

Because of its connections to the CCP as well as its practice of sending user information to China’s servers, TikTok is a long-standing subject of congressional scrutiny.

The legal battle to remove the app, which is popular in China, from Congress members and executive employees has been ongoing.

White House ordered In order to protect government data, the Chinese-owned TikTok App was removed from all government devices within thirty days.

White House Office of Management and BudgetOMB() stated on Twitter that Biden’s administration “has made advancing our nation’s cybersecurity a top priority.”

“Today, OMB is releasing guidance on implementation of the ‘No TikTok on Government Devices Act,’ requiring agencies to cease using the app except in select circumstances,” The agency wrote.

Shalanda, OMB Director, issued instructions to federal agencies requiring them not to allow internet traffic to reach the Chinese-owned business as part of the purge.

OMB guidelines state agencies have 90 days from the date of receipt to rectify any TikTok misuse by IT supplier contractors. In addition, they must add a TikTok ban within 120 days to any new solicitations.

Although certain applications of software that is on government devices may be permitted, like those related to national security, security research or law enforcement, the memo says broad exclusions would not be allowed for whole agencies.

According to the memo, all such activities must be approved by agency leaders.

In the interim, Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, chair of House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced a billpdf) at the end of February—the “Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries Act”—that would give President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok from all devices in the United States.

He described TikTok as “a spy balloon into your phone.”

“Currently, the courts have questioned the administration’s authority to sanction TikTok. My bill empowers the administration to ban TikTok or any software applications that threaten U.S. national security,” McCaul made the statement in an interview to The Epoch Times.

“And make no mistake—TikTok is a security threat. It allows the CCP to manipulate and monitor its users while it gobbles up Americans’ data to be used for their malign activities,” He went on. “Anyone with TikTok downloaded on their device has given the CCP a backdoor to all their personal information.”

An omnibus congressional bill was passed Dec. 23, last year. includes TikTok would be banned from devices of the federal government by legislation. The “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” Had already been approved By the Senate unanimously

Ban in Multiple Countries

India, Taiwan, The European Union and a number of U.S. states already have similar bans. Canada had also issued a ban in March.

Mona Fortier (president of the Canadian Treasury Board) announced The nation announced on February 28th that it would ban TikTok from all devices that are provided by government. It was concerned that TikTok’s collection of data leaves the users open to cyberattacks and will therefore ban TikTok on the same day.

The European Union will be joining the United States, Canada and other countries on February 25, 2012. ordered a ban TikTok is available on all devices, corporate or individual, used by the European Commission

“To increase its cybersecurity, the [European] Commission’s Corporate Management Board has decided to suspend the use of the TikTok application on its corporate devices and on personal devices enrolled in the Commission mobile device service,” The Commission stated in statement.

“This measure aims to protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions which may be exploited for cyber-attacks against the corporate environment of the Commission.”

Caden Pearson also contributed to the report.