USA: TikTok to be banned on most government devices, as per new Congress bill

In a fresh sign of hostility between America and China, the US Congress has unveiled a bill that would ban the TikTok app from most government devices.

The provision is part of the $1.7 trillion spending package revealed by the US Congress on 20 December 2022. It requires the Biden government to ban most uses of TikTok and other apps created by its owner ByteDance Ltd on most government devices.

The ban might not cover members of the Congress, some of whom have TikTok accounts.

There have been some concerns in the US that China may steal American user data from TikTok, or use the platform to push propaganda.

Also watch: Ukraine President plans first foreign trip since Russia war began: Zelenskyy to visit USA, says report

On 16 December 2022, CIA Director William Burns said that Beijing can "insist upon extracting the private data of a lot of TikTok users in this country and also to shape the content of what goes on to TikTok as well to suit the interests of the Chinese leadership." "I think those are real challenges and a source of real concern," Burns told PBS. He declined to take a position on Congressional efforts to limit TikTok.

Earlier, US courts had blocked former President Donald Trump's efforts to ban TikTok from US smartphone app stores.

(With agency inputs)