Senate unanimously agrees to ban TikTok on government devices

TikTok on phone
(Image credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Senate has passed a bill banning federal employees from downloading TikTok on government-issued devices. This is largely due to the ongoing security concerns associated with the app.

The No TikTok on Government Devices Act, sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), passed unanimously. Both parties have cited concerns over the app's owner ByteDance Ltd., which is based in Beijing, reports The Wall Street Journal. TikTok is currently the world's most popular social media application and has been suspected of stealing people's personal data. In a statement, Hawley said, "until it is forced to sever ties with China completely, it has no place on government devices" referring to the app.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.