Senators to launch invoice that may assist ban or prohibit overseas know-how like TikTok
On this photograph illustration, a TikTok App Brand is displayed on a cell phone.
Stanislav Kogiku | Sopa Pictures | Lightrocket | Getty Pictures
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., mentioned Sunday he’s introducing a broad bipartisan invoice this week that may define an method to banning or prohibiting overseas know-how, like the favored video-sharing app TikTok.
TikTok is a short-form video platform that’s utilized by greater than 100 million Individuals. Information privateness issues have been swirling across the app due to its guardian firm ByteDance, which relies in China and privately held.
Warner mentioned he’s engaged on the invoice with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., including that he’s involved over the kind of content material that Individuals are seeing on TikTok.
“They’re taking information from Individuals, not conserving it secure, however what worries me extra with TikTok is that this is usually a propaganda instrument,” he informed “Fox Information Sunday.”
Warner’s laws comes after U.S. Home Overseas Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to advance a invoice that may grant President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok. The invoice handed the Republican-controlled committee 24-16 alongside celebration traces, with unanimous GOP help and no Democratic votes.
However even with the laws that got here earlier than the committee final week, lawmakers have an extended solution to go earlier than any actual ban might be carried out.
Assuming this invoice will get via the Republican-controlled Home, the Democratic-majority Senate must cross some model of it, which can be a problem primarily based on the opposition that has already been voiced by some Democrats. If it did cross the Senate, Biden would nonetheless have to determine whether or not to veto it or signal it.
TikTok isn’t any stranger to challenges from U.S. officers, as former President Donald Trump declared his intention to ban the app by govt motion in 2020. Congress banned TikTok from authorities units as a part of a bipartisan spending invoice in December, a number of governors have eliminated the app from state laptop networks —together with at public universities — and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., renewed calls for a whole nationwide ban in January.
