Senators to launch bill that will help ban or prohibit foreign technology like TikTok

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said Sunday he is introducing a broad bipartisan bill this week that would outline an approach to banning or banning foreign technologies, like the popular video-sharing app TikTok.

TikTok is a short video platform used by more than 100 million Americans. Data privacy concerns have been swirling around the app because of its parent company ByteDance, which is based in China and is privately held.

Warner said he is working on the bill with Sen. John Thune, RS.D., and added that he is concerned about the type of content Americans are seeing on TikTok.

“They’re taking data from America, it’s not safe, but what’s more worrying about TikTok is that it can be a propaganda tool,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Warner’s legislation comes after the US Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to approve a bill that would give President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok. The bill passed the Republican-controlled committee 24-16 along party lines, with unanimous GOP support and no Democratic votes.

But even with legislation coming before committee last week, lawmakers have a long way to go before an actual ban can be enacted.

If the bill passes the Republican-controlled House, the Democratic-dominated Senate would have to pass some version of it, which would be a challenge based on the opposition that some Democrats have voiced. If it passes the Senate, Biden still has to decide whether to veto it or sign it.

TikTok is no stranger to challenges from US officials, as former President Donald Trump announced his intention to ban the application by executive action in 2020. Congress banned TikTok from government devices as part of a bipartisan spending bill in December, some governors have removed the application. of the state’s computer network – including at public universities – and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., renewed his call for a full nationwide ban in January.