McCaul cited concerns that the app gives the Chinese government access to American users' phones.
TikTok Ban Proposals Face Free Speech Issues
McCaul stated that some of the proposals to ban TikTok in the US risk being blocked in court over free speech issues. He also mentioned that the committee is working on a new bill that combines several proposals to ban TikTok and will address any constitutional issues with a ban.
TikTok Ban Efforts Increase in Congress
McCaul's efforts come amid other measures in both the House and Senate to ban TikTok in the US, including a bipartisan bill from Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher and Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and Colorado Representative Ken Buck have also introduced their version of the ban this week.
TikTok Spokesperson Responds to Ban Efforts
TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter criticized efforts to ban the app as a "piecemeal approach to national security and a piecemeal approach to broad industry issues like data security, privacy, and online harms." Oberwetter urged lawmakers to address these issues holistically instead of focusing on banning a single service.
TikTok Ban Already Enacted on Government Phones
Congress recently banned TikTok from government phones, and more than half of US states have enacted similar prohibitions. The concern is that TikTok and the parent company could share information on US users with Chinese authorities. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US has been looking at the risks presented by the platform since the Trump administration.
