The House Administration Committee announced Tuesday that the popular TikTok video app was banned from government devices, citing national security risks.
“Beginning immediately: House staff are not allowed to download the TikTok app on any House mobile devices. TikTok is not allowed on House mobile devices. If you have the TikTok app on your House mobile device, you will be contacted to remove it,” the committee’s Chief Administrative Officer wrote in a memo to members of Congress and their staffers.
NEW: The U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on House Administration, has authorized the removal of TikTok from all House devices.
Citing numerous risks, the House’s Chief Administrative Officer issued a notice banning the app from House mobile devices effective immediately pic.twitter.com/AC3ou9F0Zj
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) December 28, 2022
The Fiscal Year 2023 budget includes a provision banning TikTok for all executive branch-owned mobile devices, and at least 16 states have banned the app on their government-owned devices. (RELATED: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox Bans TikTok For Government Employees)
TikTok executives have repeatedly claimed that American user data is protected from Chinese officials. However, multiple news outlets have reported that executives at the app’s parent company, ByteDance, have accessed American user data. Under Chinese law, tech companies must provide user information to the government if requested. China-based ByteDance employees used TikTok data to monitor reporters, the company recently admitted.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois introduced legislation in December that would ban social media companies owned by firms in designated foreign countries from operating in the United States.