Is the clock ticking for TikTok in the US?

A bipartisan group of 12 senators has proposed legislation that would grant federal authorities the power to ban technology companies such as TikTok on grounds of concerns over national security threats. 

The bill, the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (‘RESTRICT’) Act, is being led by Mark Warner, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and John Thune, the top-ranking Republican on the Commerce Committee.

If passed, the RESTRICT Act would enable the Secretary of Commerce to review and take action against information technologies, products, and services from foreign adversaries, identified in the bill as China, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela that ‘pose undue risk to our national security,’ according to the lawmakers’ statement.

While the bill would not constitute an outright ban on TikTok, it could lead to such action should federal regulators deem it necessary.

Senator Warner has cited the threat of TikTok enabling surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party or facilitating the spread of malign influence campaigns in the US. He has also mentioned previous threats to national security from technology companies such as Huawei, ZTE, and Kaspersky Lab. The RESTRICT Act is intended to take ‘a proactive approach to tackle potentially dangerous technology’ before it gains a foothold in the US.

Senator Thune said that he believes that the RESTRICT Act ‘represents a more methodical and holistic approach to addressing the threats posed by technology platforms, including TikTok, from foreign adversaries.’

The White House has given its support to the legislation, saying it would ‘empower the US government to prevent foreign governments from exploiting technology services operating in the US in a way that poses risks to Americans’ sensitive data and national security.’

Amid mounting concerns over privacy and cybersecurity with regards to TikTok, the United States and Canada have both issued prohibitions on the use of the app on government-issued mobile devices. 

https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases