Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Ban TikTok

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a bill that would ban TikTok in the United States over concerns about the Chinese-based social media app’s threat to national security.

As explained by the office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), one of the sponsors of the bill, “TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is required by Chinese law to make the app’s data available to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). From the FBI Director to FCC Commissioners to cybersecurity experts, everyone has made clear the risk of TikTok being used to spy on Americans.”

Rubio joined Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) in introducing the bipartisan legislation that would ban “all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, China, Russia, and several other foreign countries of concern.”

The bill explicitly points to ByteDance and TikTok to be restricted “unless and until the date on which the President certifies to Congress that the company no longer meets any of the conditions described.”

The legislation was introduced shortly after FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers that he is “extremely concerned” about TikTok’s operations in the United States.

A TikTok spokesperson responded to the news, saying, “It is troubling that rather than encouraging the Administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok, some members of Congress have decided to push for a politically-motivated ban that will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States.”

“We will continue to brief members of Congress on the plans that have been developed under the oversight of our country’s top national security agencies—plans that we are well underway in implementing—to further secure our platform in the United States,” the spokesperson added.