Americans Banned from Using 'Chinese TikTok'... Legalization Countdown Begins

The U.S. government’s ban on the Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok for federal employees is expected to be expanded to the entire American public.

According to major foreign media on the 1st (local time), the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, passed a bill granting President Joe Biden the authority to impose a complete ban on the use of TikTok in the United States. The Foreign Affairs Committee voted on the bill that day, passing it with 24 votes in favor and 16 against. The bill, introduced by Republican Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was opposed unanimously by Democrats.

The bill grants President Biden the authority to ban the use of foreign-owned mobile apps and to sanction the companies that own these apps. Previously, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning TikTok amid escalating U.S.-China tensions and sought to force its sale to an American company, but the effort failed after legal battles.

Earlier, Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill in January to ban TikTok in the U.S., and last month Senators Angus King and Marco Rubio introduced similar bills, but this is the first time such a bill has been passed through a vote.

Chairman McCaul stated, "TikTok poses a threat to national security," adding, "It is time to take action now." He further said, "Those who have downloaded the TikTok app on their devices should be aware that all their personal information is flowing to the Chinese Communist Party."

Previously, the U.S. Congress included a complete ban on TikTok use on federal government-owned mobile devices in the fiscal year 2023 federal budget, and this bill extends that ban to general users.

The Democrats expressed opposition, calling the bill a rushed measure passed without sufficient expert discussion. Democratic Whip Gregory Meeks said, "(This bill) destroys American jobs by pushing more companies to China and undermines American values of freedom of expression and corporate freedom," opposing the bill. The Republicans aim to bring the bill to a vote in the full House later this month.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

TikTok, a short video-sharing platform favored by the U.S. MZ generation, has faced allegations that its parent company, China’s ByteDance, is linked to the Chinese government. Concerns about TikTok potentially siphoning off personal information of American users have been consistently raised by the U.S. government and Congress as a national security issue.

Earlier, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a directive on the 27th of last month ordering all federal agencies to delete TikTok from all federal devices within 30 days. The directive was described as a significant step in addressing TikTok’s threat to sensitive government data, meaning that other federal agencies, like the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of State?which have already implemented TikTok removal?must also delete TikTok within 30 days.

The U.S. House of Representatives has issued a ban on TikTok use for its members and staff, and some state governments, including Texas, Maryland, and South Dakota, have also ordered the removal of TikTok from state government devices. As a result, downloading or using TikTok on electronic devices owned by state governments?such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, desktops?and on public institution online networks is prohibited.