US Senator Hawley Aims to Ban TikTok From Government Devices
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) announced that he will introduce legislation to ban TikTok from the devices of federal employees, to ensure government institutions’ data privacy.
Today, the US Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism held a hearing titled ‘Dangerous Partners: Big Tech and Beijing’, and subcommittee Chairman Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) announced that he will introduce legislation to ban TikTok from the devices of federal employees, to ensure government institutions’ data privacy.
In the hearing, Sen. Hawley said, “Today, I’m announcing I will introduce legislation to ban the use of TikTok by all federal employees on all federal government devices.”
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He also added, “This is a necessary step to protect the security of the United States and the data security of every American." This measure follows a ban on TikTok imposed by the Pentagon, State Department, Homeland Security, and TSA.
Last year, TikTok revealed that about 60% of their 26.5 million MAUs in the US are between the ages of 16 and 24. Meanwhile last November, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), began a national security probe into TikTok parent ByteDance’s $1 billion acquisition of Musical.ly, citing potential national security concerns.
