Once portrayed as nothing more than a dance app for kids, TikTok is under renewed federal scrutiny over its possible implications for national security.
The White House on Monday moved to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media platform from all government-issued devices, giving federal agencies 30 days to delete the app. The guidance has exceptions for “law enforcement activities, national security interests and activities, and security research.”
Meanwhile, House Republicans are expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give President Joe Biden the power to enact nationwide bans on TikTok and other software applications that are threatening to national security.
Here’s what we know.
Why is the government concerned about TikTok?
The Biden administration and lawmakers in both parties have expressed concern that the Chinese Communist Party could gather information about American customers through TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, or that it could be used to spread misinformation.
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- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called TikTok “an enormous threat” in an interview last year.
- “TikTok is the Chinese Communist Party’s backdoor into American phones,” Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair who introduced the bill that would make it easier for Biden to ban the app.
- In 2020, Biden said that TikTok is a “matter of genuine concern.” But last month, the president indicated he’s “not sure” whether a ban is the right call.
- FBI Director Christopher Wray testified in December the agency was concerned about Chinese officials controlling the app’s algorithm and argued the app could be used “to collect data through it on users which can be used for traditional espionage operations.”
- FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said in December he “welcomes” a TikTok ban on federal devices. “Every day that this drags on is another day that Americans are left exposed to the unique threats posed by TikTok,” he said.
Why will TikTok be banned on government-issued devices?
The White House’s push to remove TikTok from government-issued devices is part of a broader efforts to secure American “digital infrastructure,” security and privacy, according to a memo released Monday.
The guidance fulfills requirements of the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act,” passed by the Senate in December.
What does the White House say?
The White House is taking “every step” it can within its authority to protect American data, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton said Tuesday.
“We’ve been clear about our concerns about apps like TikTok,” she said. “The Biden administration is focused on the challenge of certain countries, including China, seeking to leverage digital technologies and Americans data in ways that present unacceptable national security risks.”
Dalton declined to comment on McCaul’s bill and whether there should be a federal ban on the social media app.
What does TikTok say?
TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said Monday that banning the app is “little more than political theater.”
“The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments,” Oberwetter said in a statement sent to USA TODAY. “We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won’t have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans.”
What does China say?
In a Tuesday press briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. government of abusing state power.
“How unsure of itself can the world’s top superpower be to fear a young people’s favorite app like that?” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The U.S. government “has been over-stretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to suppress foreign companies. We firmly oppose those wrong actions.”
How many people use TikTok?
Oberwetter declined to share with USA TODAY an exact number of monthly TikTok users in the U.S., but said that “over 100 million” people use the app each month.
The app is particularly prevalent among young people; some 67% of teens say they use TikTok, with 16% saying they use it “almost constantly,” according to PEW Research Center data.
Has a ban been attempted before?
Former President Donald Trump in 2020 issued executive orders to ban TikTok and another app with roots in China, but the bans were stopped in court. The Biden White House revoked Trump’s orders in June 2021.
The Senate voted in December on bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok from government phones, but it didn’t pass the House.
Is an all-out TikTok ban next?
It’s unclear whether Congress or the Biden administration would move to ban all access to the app nationwide.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., introduced legislation in January that would ban the app from being downloaded on any U.S. device.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the popular app’s privacy and security practices in March. It’s the first time a TikTok CEO will appear before a congressional committee.
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Contributing: Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Bart Jansen
