In recent years, social media companies have been proving themselves to be wolves in sheep’s clothing.
They’re collecting massive amounts of data on their users and pumping that data into algorithms to control what we engage with online.
One of the biggest threats to the Americans online right now is the popular app TikTok and Congress just fired a warning shot at the CCP connected company.
Senate sends bill to House that would see TikTok banned from all government devices
The United States Senate voted in solidarity this week delivering a solid rebuke to the Chinese-owned social media app, TikTok.
The legislation they passed would seek to ban TikTok from being installed on government devices.
The “No TikTok on Government Devices” act seeks to “prohibit certain individuals from downloading or using TikTok on any device issued by the United States or a government corporation.”
The vote saw no opposition and was passed via unanimous consent after it was introduced by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO).
The bill has been a long time coming following many state and federal agencies putting restrictions on the app.
TikTok said the legislation “does nothing to advance US national security interests” and they would like to see him go with another agreement that would “actually address his concerns.”
This is interesting considering the only other way you could address concerns is the detachment of the company from the CCP.
US military has already identified “risk associated” with TikTok and banned its use
TikTok has been banned on US military devices for several years.
The Pentagon sent out communications in December of 2019 that identified “the potential risk associated with using the TikTok app” and directed employees to take certain actions “to safeguard their personal information.”
“TikTok is a Trojan Horse for the Chinese Communist Party. It’s a major security risk to the United States, and until it is forced to sever ties with China completely, it has no place on government devices,” Hawley said following the passage of the bill.
He said that the Senate is following the lead of “states across the US” as they “are banning TikTok on government devices,” adding that “it’s time for Joe Biden, and the Democrats to help do the same.”
The legislation still needs to be scheduled to be heard in the House of Representatives and it may not happen until the next Congress in January.
According to Nancy Pelosi, the House is “checking with the administration – just in terms of language – not in terms of being opposed to the idea.”
She added that though it’s important, she doesn’t know that it “will be on the agenda next week.”
Over a dozen Republican State Attorneys General are looking to restrict access for kids
The TikTok app also faces the threat of being restricted to public access as well.
According to reports, over a dozen Republican State Attorneys General have made the request to change the age requirements in app stores.
Montana Attorney General, Austin Knudsen says the app “exposes kids to harmful content that promotes drug and alcohol use, glorifies eating disorders, and encourages illegal and dangerous ‘challenges’.”
He added that “drug cartels have even used it to recruit teenagers to join them.”
He says that “parents are the first line of defense, but their job is being made more difficult by ratings that misrepresent the true content found on the platform.”
US Political Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
