The bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives potentially banning TikTok’s use in the U.S. is not a novel idea. The federal government has already banned TikTok’s use for federal employees, some states have banned its use for state employees, and the state of Montana has attempted to ban its use in the state, which was litigated by ByteDance and is presently on appeal. Other countries have banned the use of TikTok over similar concerns without the uproar levied by users in the U.S. Perhaps users in other countries are more sophisticated or care more about national security and privacy concerns than users in the U.S.
The Washington Post published an article on March 13, 2024, that outlines other countries that have already banned TikTok from certain use. They include India, Nepal, European Union, Canada, Britain, Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan (yes, even the Taliban banned TikTok in 2022 to “prevent the younger generation from being misled”), and Somalia.
The article is a very interesting read and shows that the concern over the intent of the Chinese Communist Party as it relates to TikTok is global. Encourage your Senators to adopt the House bill banning TikTok in the U.S. unless ByteDance divests the app, so it can be sent to President Biden for signature.