On Wednesday the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to pass legislation that would ban the use of the video-sharing app TikTok on government phones and devices. This comes in response to growing concerns the app poses a cybersecurity risk and is a threat to national security.
The “No TikTok on Government Devices Act,” was first introduced by Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley. The bill will essentially follow up on steps already taken by the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and The Transportation Security Administration to ban the video application from being used on federal government devices.
Despite the bill passing through the Senate unanimously, it still needs to be passed by the House and then signed into law by President Biden.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
Tonight the Senate unanimously passed my bill to BAN TikTok on all government devices
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 15, 2022
ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, has been linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Despite security concerns about the app's security, it still has massive popularity in the United States, particularly among teenagers. A study by the Pew Research Center showing that nearly 70 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. use the app regularly.
Earlier this week Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a bill that would eliminate TikTok from the United States completely.
“The federal government has yet to take a single meaningful action to protect American users from the threat of TikTok. This isn’t about creative videos — this is about an app that is collecting data on tens of millions of American children and adults every day. We know it’s used to manipulate feeds and influence elections,” Rubio said in a statement announcing the bill.
“We know it answers to the People’s Republic of China. There is no more time to waste on meaningless negotiations with a CCP-puppet company. It is time to ban Beijing-controlled TikTok for good.”
The Trump administration was much more aggressive than the Biden administration when it comes to challenging TikTok. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) did what few Democrats are willing to do and admit Trump was right when it comes to the video sharing social media app.
“As painful as it is for me to say, if Donald Trump was right and we could’ve taken action then, that’d have been a heck of a lot easier than trying to take action in November of 2022,” Warner said in an interview with Recode. “The sooner we bite the bullet, the better.”
Trending Political News
Alyssa Milano Gets Bad News After Trading Her Tesla in For a Volkswagon
Far-left actress Alyssa Milano was on the receiving end of some jokes after she got rid of her Tesla because of "white supremacy" and instead purchased an electric Volkswagen, a car company that was founded by the Nazis.
“I gave back my Tesla. I bought the VW ev. I love it,” Milano tweeted. “I’m not sure how advertisers can buy space on Twitter. Publicly traded company’s products being pushed in alignment with hate and white supremacy doesn’t seem to be a winning business model.”
Bill Maher Defends Potential Republican 2024 Candidate: 'Run Now' for President
Bill Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” defended Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis amid his being on the receiving end of attacks from the left.
The reaction from Maher comes after DeSantis was a top story during the midterms for being one of the few bright spots of the Republican party. After the midterms, a post-election poll reveals that Republicans prefer DeSantis over former President Donald Trump for the party’s 2024 nominee by seven points.
Obama Talks About 'Crazy' 'Uncle Joe' Not Having Any 'Real Responsibilities' During Warnock Rally
While campaigning in Georgia with incumbent Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, former President Barack Obama had a wild gaffe about the mental stability of President Joe Biden.
Why wouldn't President Biden be campaigning for Warnock? There wasn't a direct answer, but Obama did make a comparison between Biden and the “crazy” character most American families have.
NFL Fans in Germany Join Together in Singing Classic American Song in a Special Moment
The NFL played their first-ever game in Germany over the weekend and it was a big-time success.
The crowd inside Allianz Arena in Munich was high-energy from beginning to end. Perhaps the best moment in the game was outside of the action on the field when the crowd joined in singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in unison.
Study Reveals Mind-Blowing Salary Americans Need to Reach to Afford a Median-Priced Home
According to an analysis from real estate brokerage Redfin, American homebuyers need to earn six-figure salaries in order to purchase a median-priced home.
With median house prices remaining high and the monthly mortgage payment on the typical home surging more than 45% since the same time last year to reach $2,682, the annual salary required to afford such a property has increased from $73,668 to $107,281. Average hourly wages have only gone up 5% during that same time period.
You Won't Believe What the Biden Admin is Putting in Vending Machines in Appalachia
"Harm reduction kiosks" are being funded by the Biden administration in rural Kentucky. These vending machines will allow drug users to acquire drug paraphernalia without actually having to talk to another person.
The administration will spend $3.6 million to test how well this works in Appalachia, starting in Northern Kentucky. The kiosks will contain items and substances such as naloxone, syringes, fentanyl test strips and condoms, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon.