TikTok Banned from Devices Issued by U.S. House Of Representatives

According to a notice sent out to House personnel, TikTok, a popular video-sharing app, has been removed from U.S. House of Representatives devices.

According to the notice, any House staff member who has the app on a device owned or controlled by the government is expected to delete the app.

TikTok can be considered a “high risk to users due to a number of security risks,” according to CNN received a copy of the notice via the Office of the Chief Administrative officer.

This directive is issued after the Senate and House both passed the $1.7 trillion spending bills. The bill included a provision that, once signed by President Trump, will soon prohibit TikTok access to government devices.

“With the passage of the Omnibus that banned TikTok on executive branch devices, the CAO worked with the Committee on House Administration to implement a similar policy for the House,” A spokesperson for the Chief Administrator Officer told Reuters Tuesday.

The “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” was introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) in the Senate in an effort to prohibit the app’s use on government devices.

“TikTok is a Trojan Horse for the Chinese Communist Party. It’s a major security risk to the United States, and until it is forced to sever ties with China completely, it has no place on government devices,” Hawley stated in a statement This was earlier in the month. “States across the U.S. are banning TikTok on government devices. It’s time for Joe Biden and the Democrats to help do the same.”

He introduced the measure previously as a separate bill. unanimously approved By the Senate

Nebraska Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, the first leader of a state, was elected in Nebraska. ban The app will be available on state devices starting in August 2020. Kristi Noem (South Dakota Republican Governor) blocked App in November. At most 14 states ban TikTok state-issued devices.

TikTok, which has over 100 million US users, is one the most popular apps in the Apple App Store as well as Google Play. TikTok’s ByteDance company, however, is based in China where the communist government reportedly has the ability to access user data.

FBI Director Christopher Wray noted TikTok’s security concerns during a speech at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy earlier this month.

“All of these things are in the hands of a government that doesn’t share our values, and that has a mission that’s very much at odds with what’s in the best interests of the United States. That should concern us,” Wray said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is leading the effort to ban TikTok from all areas of the country.

The legislation was introduced by Senator Marco Rubio (R.FL) in the Senate this month. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-IL, and Mike Gallagher (R-WI). introduced Complementary legislation in the House

In 2020, former President Donald Trump signed an executive ban on TikTok. Biden revoked the order and replaced it with another executive order in 2021.

TikTok did no immediate respond to a request for comments about the House of Representatives’ recent decision.