In a move that has been widely anticipated, the United States Congress has introduced legislation to ban the Chinese-owned social media app, TikTok. The legislation — introduced Friday and fast-tracked by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul — would empower the Biden administration to prohibit the use of the app in the United States. It wouldn’t ban the app outright, but it would give the White House the authority to make the call.
WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Tuesday he opposed a Republican bill that would give President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok and other apps that “knowingly provides or may transfer sensitive personal data of persons to the Chinese Communist Party.”
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) said the bill was an example of “rushing to judgment” and that it was “not the right approach.” He said the bill “fails to take into account the full range of national security threats posed by foreign-owned apps,” and that it “lacks a thoughtful process for determining which apps pose a risk and how to respond to those risks.”
The bill would allow the president to ban TikTok and other apps that “knowingly provides or may transfer sensitive personal data of persons to the Chinese Communist Party,” according to a summary of the bill. It would also require the president to submit a report to Congress on any apps determined to pose a threat to the country’s national security.
On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is set to vote on a bill that would give President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok and other Chinese-owned apps from the United States. The bill is fast-tracked in the House and is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
The Senate voted in December on bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok from government phones, but it didn't pass the House. The legislation introduced Friday takes a different approach, allowing the president to determine whether or not the app is a national security risk, rather than an outright ban.
Millions of Americans may love TikTok, but there's a growing coalition in Congress that wants to crack down on the video-sharing platform, citing its ties to the Chinese government and its potential impact on U.S. national security.
Late last year, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law a sprawling spending package that included legislation that bans TikTok from government phones. The bill was meant to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices, months after Congress voted to ban the use of the Chinese-owned social media app on government devices.
The latest bill would go further, and give the Biden administration the authority to ban the app from U.S. users. It would require the president to submit a report to Congress on any apps determined to pose a threat to the country’s national security.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and is expected to pass with bipartisan support in the House. McCaul said the bill was necessary to “ensure the security of user data and protect our national security.”
McCaul said the bill “will empower President Biden to make the decision on whether or not to ban TikTok and other Chinese-owned apps from the United States.”
The bill has been met with opposition from some members of Congress who are concerned that it could give the president too much power. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said the bill “risks giving the president too much authority and fails to provide sufficient oversight and accountability.”
The bill is expected to be voted on in the House in the coming weeks. If it passes, it will then go to the Senate for consideration.
