Sen. Hawley Introduces Bill Banning TikTok from All Government Devices

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is still ticked off at TikTok and is ready to clean the Chinese app's clock, or at least unwind it from all federal government devices. 

Calling the company a "a major security risk" that has "no place on government devices," he teamed with fellow Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida to introduce a bill aptly titled the "No TikTok on Government Devices Act."

"I hope my colleagues will join me to implement this ban immediately and protect our national security," said Scott. 

Hawley, one of Big Tech's biggest Senate critics, signaled last week the bill was on its way. In fact, Hawley announced the bill at a Hill hearing on China's threat to tech. 

Currently the State Department, DHS and the TSA have all banned their employees from using the Chinese-backed short-form mobile video app on government devices, and even advised them to have their children uninstall it from their personal devices, Hawley pointed out last week, so the bill would make it a blanket ban. 

 

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.