The White House has given federal agencies 30 days to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices, but will the app face a total ban in the US? A few months ago, the US Congress passed a bill banning the use of TikTok on all government devices. The bill, signed into law by President Joe Biden, bans government employees from using TikTok on devices owned by any federal government agency. Several US states, including Texas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, Arkansas, South Dakota, and others, have also banned state employees from using TikTok on government-issued devices.
In guidance released this week, Shalanda D. Young, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, said all operating agencies and the people and organizations they do business with must remove any another app developed by TikTok or its parent company, ByteDance. , from government-issued devices within the next 30 days. The directive also mentions that all agencies covered by the ban must also include in future contracts that contractors cannot use the app on their devices. However, there are some exceptions for law enforcement, national security, and research purposes.
TikTok ban is not open to the public
first reporter Reuters, the directive is designed to implement a bill passed last December and applies only to federal agencies and their contractors. This means that as of now, the public has been largely unaffected by the TikTok ban and the app is still completely legal and available for download on the App Store and Play Store. However, some lawmakers are also planning to introduce a complete ban on the app in the United States, meaning the app may not be available for download in the country in the future.
Senator Josh Hawley (right), one of such lawmakers, plans to introduce a bill to permanently ban the app. In January 2023, Hawley accused TikTok of being “China’s Back Door into American Life” And claims it threatens the privacy and mental health of American children. Although Hawley said he wants legislation to ban TikTok nationwide, he hasn’t said when he plans to introduce the bill. This is not the first time the US government has tried to ban TikTok nationwide, as former President Donald Trump tried without success.
TikTok is often at the center of controversies regarding misinformation and dangerous trends that threaten users’ lives and health, but a series of bans by state and federal agencies are unrelated. what to do with this problem. Instead, they base it on suspicions that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on US citizens. However, TikTok vehemently denies any allegations of collusion with the Chinese government. TikTok has been banned in countries like India due to similar concerns, so a future US ban cannot be completely ruled out.
Source: White House, Reuters