The Senate has approved legislation prohibiting federal employees from downloading or using TikTok on government devices.
This move comes amid warnings from the FBI director and cybersecurity experts, who fear China could be using the social media app, which Bytedance in Beijing owns, for spying.
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In order to become law, the bill will need approval from the U.S. House of Representatives and a signature from President Joe Biden. This would need to be done before the completion of the current congressional session.
Just this week, several lawmakers introduced a separate bill that wouldn’t just ban the social media platform for federal employees, but nationwide, NBC News reports.
Lawmakers believe the bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio from Florida, would “protect Americans by blocking and prohibiting all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, China, Russia, and several other foreign countries of concern.”
Maryland is among many states that have already taken action to bar the use of TikTok.
According to TikTok spokesperson Jamal Brown, the concerns that have led several states to ban the app “are largely fueled by misinformation about our company.”
“We are always happy to meet with state policymakers to discuss our privacy and security practices,” Brown said. “We are disappointed that the many state agencies, offices, and universities that have been using TikTok to build communities and connect with constituents will no longer have access to our platform.”
