US Ban TikTok in Government-issued Phones
The US government approved an unprecedented ban on TikTok being used on federal government devices. These restrictions, which were included in a spending bill days before it was passed by Congress and signed by Joe Biden Thursday, add to the growing uncertainty about the app’s future in the US. This is despite a crackdown by state and federal legislators .
Officials claim the ban was necessary because of national security concerns over ByteDance, the China-based owner. It leaves many questions unanswered. Here are the facts.
What is the reason for the ban?
Due to national security concerns about ByteDance, the US government has blocked TikTok from federal government-issued devices. US officials fear that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to gain access to US user data and devices.
Brooke Oberwetter, the spokesperson for TikTok, stated that the company was disappointed that Congress had advanced the proposal. She also said that it was a political gesture that would not advance national security interests.
Federal government employees will have to delete TikTok from all devices they receive within two months of the ban unless they use it for national security or law enforcement purposes.
The US Office of Management and Budget director and other offices have 60 days to develop standards and processes that will allow all government employees to delete the app from their smartphones. TikTok has been banned by several federal agencies, including the White House, the Defense, Homeland Security, and State Departments. This won’t affect those employees. Earlier this week , Catherine Szpindor was also the chief administrator of House of Representatives. She instructed all employees and lawmakers to remove the app from their phones.
