A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a new bill that would give President Joe Biden greater legal authority to ban TikTok in the US. Dubbed the “RESTRICT” Act, the legislation doesn’t specifically target TikTok for a ban, but it aims to grant the US government new powers against foreign-linked electronic or software producers deemed to pose a national security risk. Lawmakers have previously cited China’s national security laws as a concern, fearing they could force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to provide access to US user data. TikTok CEO, Shou Chew, has denied receiving such a request from the Chinese government and has taken steps to separate US user data from the rest of its operations. The RESTRICT Act expands beyond social media to cover technologies such as financial services, quantum computing, and e-commerce, among others. The proposed law paves the way for a more comprehensive approach to evaluating and mitigating security risks posed by foreign technologies from adversarial nations.
Senators propose bill to empower Biden to ban TikTok and other social media platforms.
