Hawley Demands Biden Administration Enforce Bill Banning TikTok From Federal Devices

Topline

Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) has requested the Biden Administration quickly enforce a bill banning TikTok from federal devices, according to a letter sent Friday to the Office of Management and Budget, two days after the Republican legislator introduced legislation that would ban the social media app for civilian users in the U.S, too.

Key Facts

The No TikTok On Government Devices Act—included as a provision in a government spending bill approved late last month—requires the Office of Management and Budget to enact a ban prohibiting TikTok from federally issued devices or networks within 60 days (February 27), Hawley noted.

Hawley said he has “yet to see any signs of progress from your agency in developing these standards,” before requesting the agency to disclose how it will enforce the bill by February 5.

The No TikTok On United States Devices Act—introduced by Hawley alongside companion legislation by Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) on Wednesday—would prohibit all transactions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, while also requiring the Director of National Intelligence to report how the Chinese government uses the app to “monitor or manipulate Americans.”

Surprising Fact

More than half (31) of all states in the U.S. have barred TikTok from government devices in recent months, while five states (Hawaii, New York, California, Massachusetts and Vermont) have proposed bans and five others (Louisiana, Florida, West Virginia) have issued bans in specific government agencies. Bans by state governments complement similar bans issued by some federal agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

Tangent

The University of Wisconsin System told the Associated Press Tuesday that it will ban TikTok from school devices, joining an effort by universities to block students from accessing the app through campus Wi-Fi. Some of the colleges issuing bans include the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Arkansas, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, the University of Central Oklahoma, Boise State University and Auburn University. Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, sent a memo to the system’s 26 colleges—which includes the University of Georgia—in December banning TikTok from school-issued devices, though students can still use the app on personal devices.

Key Background

Hawley, who first introduced a bill banning TikTok on federal devices in 2020, has continued to argue for a nationwide ban on the social media app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance. Hawley’s newest legislation follows similar bipartisan legislation announced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) last month, after Rubio and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) co-authored an op-ed in the Washington Post calling for a nationwide ban on TikTok. Both Hawley and Rubio cited recent reporting on the app, including a Forbes article indicating ByteDance used TikTok to monitor the location of some American citizens. Bipartisan support for a larger ban on TikTok could be possible, as Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.) told Forbes he thinks “everybody is uneasy about TikTok” as more information into TikTok’s actions is released—including findings by the New York Times suggesting the app can track user keystrokes.

Further Reading

Hawley Will Propose Legislation To Ban TikTok In U.S. (Forbes)

EXCLUSIVE: TikTok Spied On Forbes Journalists (Forbes)