Will TikTok be banned in the USA? Here’s the latest on the controversial app
TikTok, the popular social media app, has been a worrying topic for members of the US government for years. The main concern stems from the fact that the app is owned by ByteDance, a China-based company, which has raised concerns about data sharing and possible spying on users by the Chinese government.
Recently, there have been renewed efforts to ban TikTok entirely in the United States, with several bills being introduced into the Senate and Congress. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew even appeared before Congress in March for a hearing to discuss the app’s relationship with China and protecting users on the platform.
Here’s everything we know about the latest developments surrounding TikTok’s potential ban in the United States.
Federal laws aim to ban TikTok from the US
On December 13, 2022, two US senators introduced a bill that would ban TikTok from operating in the country entirely due to its ties to Beijing. The law was originally titled “Defending the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Repressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Law.” Not only would it ban TikTok, but other social media companies that have ties to China, Russia and several other “foreign countries of concern.”
In January 2023, Senator Josh Hawley also introduced his own bill that would ban TikTok in the United States. It is still unclear when the Senate will vote on the law.
In December, the US Congress officially banned TikTok on all federal government devices.
Senator calls for TikTok to be removed from app stores
On February 2, 2023, US Senator Michael Bennet wrote a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook, expressing his concerns about the availability of TikTok in their respective app stores. He urged both CEOs to remove TikTok entirely so users can’t download the app at all.
House Foreign Affairs Committee passes bill banning TikTok
On March 1, 2023, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed legislation that would allow the Biden administration to ban transactions involving TikTok statewide. This would effectively ban the app entirely when accessed within the US, as it would take away the ability to download and connect to the app’s servers. However, the law must be voted on in the House and Senate before it can be sent to President Biden for a final decision.
TikTok CEO appears before Congress
On March 23, 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress in a hearing where he was questioned about the app’s relationship with China and the platform’s protection of children. Chew denied that ByteDance is a representative of China or any other country and described the Project Texas initiative, which aims to seal off protected US user data from unauthorized access from abroad. However, concerns have been raised as to whether the project is technically capable of delivering the required assurances.
Will TikTok be banned in the US?
At the time of writing, there has been no official announcement of a TikTok ban in the United States, despite concerns over data sharing with the Chinese government. Whether that will change in the future remains to be seen.
In summary, the fate of TikTok in the US remains uncertain as various bills and legislation are introduced in Congress to ban the app outright due to its ties to China. However, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has testified before Congress and denied any wrongdoing by the company. It remains to be seen if TikTok can continue to operate in the US or if it will be banned in the near future.
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