U.S. authorities efforts to ban TikTok over nationwide safety grounds, as soon as thought-about a pie-in-the-sky pipe dream, are trying increasingly probably by the week, particularly after Congress browbeat TikTok’s CEO for 5 hours final week. That stated, we’ve been right here earlier than. Numerous gamers within the federal authorities have tried to ban TikTok earlier than, all unsuccessfully.
In simply three quick months, at the least 4 new payments have reached the Home and Senate demanding, in numerous varieties, a nationwide ban of the Chinese language-owned app. TikTok is already banned on all federal authorities units. An increasing number of states have handed legal guidelines doing the identical factor on an area stage. These new units of invoice would take issues a lot additional, nonetheless, and basically excise an app TikTok says is at present utilized by 150 million Individuals—one in two folks within the nation. That backlash to such a ban is troublesome to think about.
Although assist for the bans has elevated, the rationale behind it stays as obtuse as ever. Lawmakers and officers, for years now, have warned the Chinese language authorities might sneakily use TikTok to reap US customers’ information which they are saying might hurt nationwide safety. “May” and “Would possibly” are the key phrases right here. Up to now, the US authorities has but to supply any concrete proof backing these claims.
That stated, TikTok undoubtedly hasn’t completed itself any favors. The Division of Justice is at present investigating TikTok over claims it spied on three former BuzzFeed reporters within the firm’s investigation of an inner leak. Former worker whistleblowers, in the meantime, have stated TikTok’s plans to safe US person information in Oracle servers merely don’t go far sufficient, with one saying solely a “full re-engineering” of the app can be needed to fulfill lawmakers’ calls for. One other former worker, writing in a letter despatched to ByteDance by Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley’s workplace, alleged TikTok and its Chinese language mother or father firm ByteDance are “functionally the identical firm.”
So right here we’re, with a nationwide TikTok ban or pressured sale trying all of the extra probably. Beneath are all of those legislative efforts thus far vying to make {that a} actuality.
