State legislators voted last Friday to ban TikTok from government devices and public university networks. This is part of a new bipartisan Senate bill that seeks to prevent the popular social media app from being used on government-owned devices. The bill also seeks to prevent state governments from downloading or using the app on public university networks. Many public universities have already begun blocking access to TikTok. Still, this new legislation would make it official, requiring state governments to install filters and firewalls explicitly designed to block the app.
Additionally, it seeks to block any company owned by a Chinese entity from providing services related to TikTok within the U.S., such as hosting its data or providing cloud computing services. Politicians have argued that allowing such a foreign-owned media platform access to so much personal data poses an unacceptable risk to American citizens’ privacy and security and have called for increased regulation of all social media platforms operating within American borders.
TikTok’s rapid growth in popularity has made it a concern among U.S. lawmakers, who worry that its user base could be vulnerable to exploitation by foreign governments and malicious actors seeking access to the private lives of Americans with access to their data. The security concerns associated with such a large-scale platform have forced many U.S. policymakers into action, resulting in calls for banning the popular video app before its Chinese owners can compromise any more private data.
The Biden Administration is exploring the potential for a collective ban of apps owned by Chinese companies. As it could threaten the ability of millions of users to access popular services like WeChat, whose parent companies are based in China, this move would have far-reaching consequences.
Former President Trump is believed to have tried to block TikTok when he was in office. However, his efforts were unsuccessful. If this ban were to be enforced, it would be devastating for both users and owners of the app alike, as it would remove one of their most popular forms of entertainment and communication from their lives.
TikTok, has voiced strong opposition to the proposed legislation and its potential implications for user rights and free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The company claims the ban would unfairly target users and restrict their ability to access and share content freely.
Proponents of the legislation argue that banning the app would be an effective way to stop the spread of misinformation and protect digital privacy. The Commerce Department has also expressed its support for this bill, stating that they feel that it is necessary to protect users’ data privacy and security as well as national security interests in general – something that could be better achieved if fewer Chinese-owned companies were operating within U.S. borders such as Bytedance’s TikTok platform.
The main reason for wanting to ban TikTok is due to security concerns. It has been reported that hackers could potentially gain access to sensitive information on government devices if TikTok is allowed to remain accessible.
Furthermore, the Chinese government’s involvement in the ownership of Bytedance has caused some people to question whether or not they are genuinely acting in their user’s best interests – something which can only be answered with a resounding no. In light of these security concerns, many other countries have already banned or are considering banning Bytedance’s services within their borders – such as India and Japan – and Taiwan has even gone so far as to completely cut off all ties with them by not allowing them access into their markets anymore.
The FBI Director Chris Wray even warned users of potential espionage activities by the owners of Tiktok when he said, “There’s a genuine risk that the Chinese government – through Bytedance or other apps recommendation platforms – can gain access not only to user data but also valuable intellectual property” during a press conference in July 2020.
