Why TikTok Is Being Banned For Some Government Employees

The White House has given federal agencies in the United States 30 days to remove the popular social media app TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices, citing growing security concerns. Canada has announced a similar prohibition.

Congress, the White House, and more than half of the states in the United States had already banned TikTok, citing concerns that China could use its legal and regulatory powers to obtain private user data or spread misinformation or favorable narratives to China. The US military has banned the app from its devices, and the EU’s executive branch has temporarily banned TikTok from the phones of its employees.

TikTok, owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that relocated its headquarters to Singapore in 2020, is used by more than two-thirds of American teenagers. Critics say that the Chinese government could see things like a user’s location and browsing history.

China claims that the bans expose Washington’s insecurities and abuse state power.

Here’s what you should know:

WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WITH TIKTOK?

The FBI and the Federal Communications Commission are worried that ByteDance might give China’s authoritarian government information about TikTok users.

There are also concerns that the company is sending large amounts of user data to China, violating strict European privacy regulations.

Furthermore, there has been concern about TikTok’s content and whether it harms the mental health of teenagers.

WHO HAVE IMPLIED TIKTOK RESTRICTIONS?

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump and his administration attempted to prohibit dealings with TikTok’s owner, force it to sell off its U.S. assets, and remove TikTok from app stores. Courts blocked Trump’s efforts to ban TikTok, and after taking office, President Joe Biden rescinded Trump’s orders but ordered an in-depth investigation into the matter. TikTok’s planned sale of its assets in the United States has been canceled.

Members of both parties in Congress have expressed concerns about the app. The “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” was passed by Congress in December as part of a large government funding package. TikTok use is permitted under the law in certain circumstances, including national security, law enforcement, and research.

House Republicans are expected to introduce legislation Tuesday that would give Biden the authority to ban TikTok nationwide. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul, seeks to avoid the legal challenges that the administration would face if sanctions were imposed on the social media company.

WHAT DOES TIKTOK HAVE TO SAY?

TikTok has questioned the bans, claiming that it could not respond to questions and that governments were cutting themselves off from a popular platform.

Responding to the U.S. announcement, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said Monday: “The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately, that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments. These bans amount to nothing more than political theatre.”

SOURCE – (AP)