DENVER — Legislation to ban TikTok in the US was introduced in Congress Wednesday by Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican representing Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).
The No TikTok on the United States Devices Actwould prohibit the Chinese-owned social media app from being downloaded onto any device in the country.
"TikTok is a clear threat to our privacy and national security. Not only is TikTok directly associated with the Chinese Communist Party, but it has been used to spy on Americans and gain an alarming level of access to users’ phones. This should concern every citizen who values their privacy, security, and personal information. Banning CCP tied TikTok nationwide is the only route to ending this malicious cybersecurity threat,” Buck said in a statement.
The bill would direct the president to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act within 30 days of the bill’s passing to block and prohibit transactions with TikTok.
Citing national security concerns, similar attempts at blocking the social media app in the country failed under the Trump administration. However, support for such a ban appears to be growing within Congress and state legislatures.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
The app has been targeted by Republicans who say the Chinese government could access its user data like browsing history and location. U.S. armed forces also have prohibited the app on military devices.
In a company statement, TikTok said it's “confident” that it's “on a path" to satisfy national security concerns.
"We are also confident that we’re on a path in our negotiations with the U.S. Government to fully satisfy all reasonable U.S. national security concerns, and we have already made significant strides toward implementing those solutions,” the statement said.
Congress passed a TikTok ban on government devices last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
