A dozen United States senators released a bipartisan bill on March 7 that would expand President Joe Biden‘s legal authority to ban TikTok nationwide, CNN reported. It’s lawmakers’ latest attempt to eliminate the social media platform from the country.
The bill is called the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act. While it doesn’t target TikTok specifically, it aims to give the U.S. government the ability to ban foreign-linked producers, electronics or software the Commerce Department views as a national security risk.
In a time of hovering spy balloons, this latest bill is a response to the fear of China getting Americans’ personal information or communication records. China’s national security laws could force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to provide access to TikTok’s American user data.
Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a bill that would require the Biden administration to issue a nationwide TikTok ban if an assessment of the platform found the potential risk of revealing American user data — risks multiple administration officials have already said exist.
“A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide,” TikTok released in a statement. “We’re disappointed to see this rushed piece of legislation move forward, despite its considerable negative impact on the free speech rights of millions of Americans who use and love TikTok.”
