US Senate Committee approves ban on TikTok on government devices

Federal employees will be barred from using TikTok on government-issued devices, as a per a bill passed by a US Senate Committee.

Under a new bill passed by a US Senate Committee, federal government employees would be barred from using TikTok on government-issued devices. It would now be presented in the Senate floor for a vote. The step is being taken as lawmakers fear for the security of users' personal data.

The proposal put forth by Senator Josh Hawley was unanimously passed by the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It seeks to ban TikTok from being used on government devices as the authorities fear sensitive information may fall into the hands of government officials in Beijing.

Also Read: How will the TikTok ban change the dynamics of Digital Campaigns?

In 2017, a Chinese law was introduced that made it obligatory for companies to support and cooperate in the country's national intelligence work. TikTok's roots in Beijing have been a cause of concern for US Authorities and the ongoing pandemic has only made it worse.

Going forward, it is likely that TikTok may get banned in the US. This can also be gauged from the reports that investors in the US are trying to buy the tech giant as a means to firewall the concerns the US has in regards to the Chinese control of the app and its data.

Currently, 60% of TikTok users are based in the US. A few days ago, TikTok was among the 59 Chinese-origin apps banned from use in India.