US Senate intelligence chairman to introduce bill allowing TikTok ban News
antonbe / Pixabay
US Senate intelligence chairman to introduce bill allowing TikTok ban

Chairman of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark Warner (D-VA) Sunday announced plans to introduce a bipartisan bill that would allow foreign technologies entering America to be banned. Warner’s announcement has generated attention since it explicitly mentions that the popular app TikTok could be subject to the ban.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Warner stated he has been working on the bill with Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) and that TikTok, in particular, is of concern. Warner noted that TikTok is being used by a large number of Americans despite the app’s unsafe storage of information and its ability to be used as a tool for propaganda. He explained that the confrontation between the US and China is a result of China’s large economic investments. Warner noted the recent developments in the protection of privacy and data in the US, with the hopes that this new bill will bolster security.

The announcement of this bill follows the Foreign Affairs Committee passing bill H.R. 1153 by a majority of 24-16 on March 1 which would mandate the banning of software applications, including TikTok, that threaten national security. Committee Chairman Michael McCaul stated that TikTok is the “modern-day Trojan Horse of the CCP used to surveil and exploit Americans’ personal information,” calling on change to protect Americans’ data and national security. McCaul also noted that while the recent surveillance balloon was an obvious threat, people are unaware of the “spy balloon” on their phones, namely TikTok. However, McCaul is aware the authority to sanction TikTok has been questioned by US courts.