Pressure mounts on Trump administration as China experts expect TikTok ban to come 'by end of this week'
Speaking to reporters at a press conference today, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expanded on his considerations to ban the mobile app TikTok, saying it was only one of a number of Chinese companies that need to be held accountable for threatening Americans' data.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on Wednesday urged the Senate to pass Sen. Josh Hawley's, R-Mo., bill banning the use of TikTok on government devices, due to the app's direct ties to Communist China.
Scott cosponsored the legislation with Hawley, who initially introduced the bill back in March. By the time it was unveiled, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, The Defense Department, and the TSA had already banned the use of the TikTok on any government phones or devices in the name of strengthening cybersecurity.
Scott's office provided a statement to Fox News shortly after he tweeted out his support for the bill's passage.
"There’s no reason Americans should subject themselves to security risks posed by Communist China," he tweeted. "I’m proud to work with @HawleyMO on this bill to ban @tiktok_us on government devices & I look forward to the full Senate quickly passing it."
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“Companies influenced and controlled by the Chinese government, like TikTok, must adhere to the Communist government’s demands to spy, steal user data and censor any content the government wishes," Scott said in his statement.
He added, "There is absolutely no reason any American should subject themselves to this risk, especially on government devices, which poses a risk to U.S. networks and a threat to national security. I’m proud to work with Senator Hawley and my colleagues on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to put an end to it, and I look forward to the full Senate quickly passing this important bill.”
Hawley previously accused the company that owns TikTok of having Communist Party members on its board and said they've violated user privacy by collecting and sharing data in a secretive and nefarious manner.
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"TikTok is owned by a Chinese company that includes Chinese Communist Party members on its board, and it is required by law to share user data with Beijing," he explained. "The company even admitted it collects user data while their app is running in the background – including the messages people send, pictures they share, their keystrokes and location data, you name it. As many of our federal agencies have already recognized, TikTok is a major security risk to the United States, and it has no place on government devices."
TikTok has long denied that it shares any information with the Chinese government. The popular app, which is used to create short dance, comedy and music videos, said last year about 60 percent of its 26.5 million monthly active U.S. users are aged 16 to 24, according to Reuters.
The tech platform's spokesperson Jamie Favazza told the news agency that the company's biggest priority is promoting a safe, privacy-centered experience for its users.
“Millions of American families use TikTok for entertainment and creative expression, which we recognize is not what federal government devices are for,” she told Reuters.
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