TikTok Ban in US: The White House has ordered federal agencies to remove Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from all government-issued devices within the next 30 days. The Office of Management and Budget director, Shalanda Young issued a memo requesting that government agencies "remove and disallow installations" of the app on agency-owned or operated IT devices, as well as "prohibit internet traffic" from such devices to the app.
The US Congress had previously ordered a ban on TikTok, and the law signed by US President Joe Biden last month prohibits the use of the app on government-issued devices, as well as in the US House of Representatives and Senate.
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The ban will not affect businesses in the US or the millions of private citizens who use the app. However, a bill has been introduced in Congress that would effectively ban TikTok from the country entirely, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU opposes such a ban, arguing that it would violate Americans' constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.
Owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, TikTok has been the subject of political scrutiny due to concerns that it could be used for spying or propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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These fears have been amplified in recent weeks, following the shooting down of a Chinese balloon that had traversed US airspace, as well as the Canadian government's decision to ban TikTok from its phones and other devices, citing fears about Beijing's access to user data.
FAQs:
Q1: Will the TikTok ban affect private citizens or businesses in the US?
No, the ban only applies to government-issued devices. Private citizens and businesses can continue to use the app.
Q2: Why is there concern about TikTok being owned by a Chinese company?
There are concerns that TikTok could be used for spying or propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has led to scrutiny from governments around the world.
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