US lawmakers introduce bill to ban TikTok

Now more U. S. States are piling on and banning tiktok on government devices. We can now add Utah and Alabama to the growing list of US states that security concerns over the popular app texas, south Dakota, Nebraska south Carolina and Maryland have also made similar moves. Now we know chinese tiktok has repeatedly denied that americans data is at risk by using the app. *** spokesperson responding to this recent push saying quote, we're disappointed that so many states are jumping on the bandwagon to enact policies based on unfounded, politically charged falsehoods about tiktok unquote.

A trio of U.S. lawmakers has introduced new legislation that aims to ban TikTok from operating in the United States.The new bill by Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a bipartisan pair of congressmen in the House, reflects the latest escalation by U.S. policymakers against the Chinese-owned short-form video app. TikTok has faced doubts about its ability to safeguard U.S. user data from the Chinese government.The proposed legislation would "block and prohibit all transactions" in the United States by social media companies with at least one million monthly users that are based in, or under the "substantial influence" of, countries that are considered foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.The bill specifically names TikTok and its parent, ByteDance, as social media companies for the purposes of the legislation. Rubio and one of the House sponsors of the bill, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, had indicated their intention to introduce the bill in a Washington Post op-ed last month.The legislation comes as a wave of states led by Republican governors have introduced state-level restrictions on the use of TikTok on government-owned devices. In the past two weeks, at least seven states have introduced such measures, including Maryland, South Dakota and Utah.The flurry of activity contrasts with the lengthy negotiations TikTok has been having for years with the U.S. government on a potential deal that may allow the company to address national security concerns and to continue serving U.S. users."The federal government has yet to take a single meaningful action to protect American users from the threat of TikTok," Rubio said in a statement. "There is no more time to waste on meaningless negotiations with a CCP-puppet company. It is time to ban Beijing-controlled TikTok for good.""It's 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," Hilary McQuaide, a spokesperson for TikTok, said in a statement."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," McQuaide added.TikTok has previously said it doesn't share information with the Chinese government and that a US-based security team decides who can access U.S. user data from China. TikTok has also previously acknowledged that employees based in China can currently access user data.Tuesday's bill is not the only federal legislation to target TikTok. Last year, U.S. lawmakers proposed a law that would ban TikTok usage by federal agencies, and Rubio introduced a bill that would force some app makers to disclose ownership information. Another bill introduced this fall would prohibit TikTok from allowing China-based employees to access the user data of U.S. citizens.Already, the U.S. military, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have restricted TikTok from devices under their control.

A trio of U.S. lawmakers has introduced new legislation that aims to ban TikTok from operating in the United States.

The new bill by Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a bipartisan pair of congressmen in the House, reflects the latest escalation by U.S. policymakers against the Chinese-owned short-form video app. TikTok has faced doubts about its ability to safeguard U.S. user data from the Chinese government.

The would "block and prohibit all transactions" in the United States by social media companies with at least one million monthly users that are based in, or under the "substantial influence" of, countries that are considered foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.

The bill specifically names TikTok and its parent, ByteDance, as social media companies for the purposes of the legislation. Rubio and one of the House sponsors of the bill, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, had indicated their intention to introduce the bill in a Washington Post op-ed .

The legislation comes as a wave of states led by Republican governors have introduced state-level restrictions on the use of TikTok on government-owned devices. In the past two weeks, at least seven states have introduced such measures, including Maryland, South Dakota and Utah.

The flurry of activity contrasts with the lengthy negotiations TikTok has been having for years with the U.S. government on a potential deal that may allow the company to address national security concerns and to continue serving U.S. users.

"The federal government has yet to take a single meaningful action to protect American users from the threat of TikTok," Rubio said in a . "There is no more time to waste on meaningless negotiations with a CCP-puppet company. It is time to ban Beijing-controlled TikTok for good."

"It's 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," Hilary McQuaide, a spokesperson for TikTok, said in a statement.

"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," McQuaide added.

TikTok has previously said it doesn't share information with the Chinese government and that a US-based security team decides who can access U.S. user data from China. TikTok has also previously acknowledged that employees based in China .

Tuesday's bill is not the only federal legislation to target TikTok. Last year, U.S. lawmakers a law that would ban TikTok usage by federal agencies, and Rubio introduced a bill that would force some app makers to disclose ownership information. Another bill would prohibit TikTok from allowing China-based employees to access the user data of U.S. citizens.

Already, the U.S. military, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have restricted TikTok from devices under their control.

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