Following the Senate's unanimous approval of banning federal employees from using TikTok on government devices, the Chinese app has lashed out at the Biden administration and Congress. This issue united Republicans and Democrats, who passed the bill on Wednesday due to significant national security concerns. It is expected to pass in the House by the end of next week.
A TikTok spokesperson expressed concern about the "politically motivated" ban that the company believes will not impact national security:
It is troubling that rather than encouraging the administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok, some members of Congress have decided to push for politically motivated bans that will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States.
He added:
TikTok is loved by millions of Americans who use the platform to learn, grow their businesses and connect with creative content that brings them joy.
The social media app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, could hand over Americans' personal data and confidential information if requested by the Chinese Communist Party. This raises major concerns for U.S. national security. Despite this, TikTok assured that it will "continue to brief members of Congress on the plans that have been developed under the oversight of our country’s top national security agencies — plans that we are well underway in implementing — to further secure our platform in the United States."
