This week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill that would ban TikTok from being used on federal government devices. Many states have previously passed bills prohibiting state employees from using the popular app on state government issued devices. This Senate legislation was led by Senator Josh Hawley.

Why is this important?

The FBI has put out multiple warnings against TikTok. The Chinese government uses TikTok to conduct “surveillance” aka spying on American citizens. Last month, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted that the app has multiple implications on national security.

Who Owns TikTok?

TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, Bytedance, which is in compliance with China’s communist regime. As such, it must surrender its surveillance to the CCP. China has been a communist country since the end of World War II.

Is TikTok Used in China?

Strangely, no. TikTok is not used within the borders of China.

The Legislation

Now that TikTok has been banned on government issued devices, the legislation heads to the House.