Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) bill to ban TikTok on government devices unanimously passed the Senate. Senator Hawley’s bill, introduced with Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), would follow up on steps already taken by the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and TSA to ban the app on federal government devices due to security concerns.
“In light of all we know, it is unthinkable to me that we should continue to permit federal employees, those workers entrusted with sensitive government data, to access this app on their work phones and computers,” said Senator Hawley. “I’m encouraged by the bipartisan support we have seen in this body to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable and that includes, by the way, holding accountable those corporations who would just do China’s bidding. And, if I have anything to say about it, we won’t be stopping here.”
Joining the bill as cosponsors were Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Kennedy (R-La.), and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.). In August, the House of Representatives voted in favor of companion legislation introduced by Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.