How the US Could Ban TikTok in 7 Not-So-Easy Steps
Former president Trump tried and failed to ban the app. Now US
lawmakers from both parties are preparing legislation they say can
finish the job.
TIKTOK'S GROWTH SPURT early in the pandemic alarmed not only competing
social networks but also the US government. Could the video sharing
app, owned by Beijing's ByteDance, be turning over the locations or
personal interests of its nearly 100 million US users to the Chinese government? Could the Chinese government order TikTok to manipulate
American minds spending hours flipping through clips? The app quickly
became a convenient target for US officials sparring for attention and
taking on China.
Three years later no one has yet presented evidence of China
exploiting TikTok to attack the US, but lawmakers are planning to
introduce legislation to Congress this month that would open the way
for President Biden to ban the app altogether.
Like a good TikTok stunt, US politicians could be staging theatrics to
appeal to their audience. But there is bipartisan interest in moving
against the company. TikTok is sending its low-profile CEO, Shou Zi
Chew, to testify to Congress on March 23 and attempting to appease US
officials by moving data and workers to the United States. The company
did not respond to a request for comment.
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https://www.wired.com/story/how-the-us-could-ban-tiktok-in-7-not-so-easy-steps>
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