Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said Americans should be careful when using the app.
Washington:
U.S. federal employees would be banned from using Chinese-owned TikTok mobile video app on government-issued devices under a bill passed by a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday, as lawmakers fear data security personal users.
Senator Josh Hawley’s “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” has been passed unanimously by the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and will be considered by the US Senate for a vote.
The great popularity of TikTok among American teens has caught the attention of American regulators and lawmakers, who fear their personal information may fall into the hands of government officials in Beijing.
TikTok, used to create short dance, lip-syncing, comedy and talent videos, said last year that about 60% of its 26.5 million monthly active users in the United States were between the ages of 16 to 24 years old.
Under a Chinese law introduced in 2017, companies have an obligation to support and cooperate in the country’s national intelligence work.
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives voted to ban federal employees from downloading the app on government-issued devices as part of a $ 741 billion defense policy bill. Lawmakers voted 336-71 to pass the proposal, offered by Rep. Ken Buck.
With its passage in the House and approval by the Senate Committee, the ban may soon become law in the United States.
Senior Trump administration officials have also said they are considering a broader ban on TikTok and other China-related apps, and that action may be imminent.
For example, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said Americans should be careful when using the app.
TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza said the company’s growing US team does not have a higher priority than promoting a secure app experience that protects user privacy.
“Millions of American families use TikTok for entertainment and creative expression, what we recognize is not what federal government devices are used for,” she said.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
