'Trojan Horse For Chinese Communist Party': US Senate Passes Bill To Ban TikTok On Government Devices

The US Senate has voted unanimously to pass a bill to ban the popular TikTok video-sharing app from all government-issued phones and devices.

Sponsored by Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, the bill reflects concerns that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, could share information on US users with Chinese authorities.

If passed by the US House, the legislation would include exceptions for “law enforcement activities, national security interests and activities, and security researchers” under certain circumstances.

The bill, which passed in the last Congress as well, underscores fears that TikTok and its parent company could share information on US users with Chinese authorities.

 A Trojan Gorse is a programme downloaded and installed on a computer that appears harmless, but is, in fact, malicious. 

Earlier last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned the US House Homeland Security Committee that the Chinese government could use TikTok to control millions of users' data or software, and its recommendation algorithm "could be used for influence operations if they so choose".

Wray also said that under Chinese law, Chinese companies are required to essentially do whatever the government wants them to do in terms of sharing information or serving as a tool of the Chinese government.

The Biden administration has been trying to reach an agreement with TikTok that would allow the video-sharing site to continue operating in the US by implementing additional safeguards on how US user data is stored. However, these efforts have faltered, with a final deal held up at the Justice Department and questions remaining about whether any deal could protect all US users' data from misuse.