GOP Senators Disagree on Fast-Tracking TikTok Ban in US
Date
3/30/2023 4:56:46 AM
(MENAFN) Republican Senator Josh Hawley's push to fast-track a ban of TikTok's app in the United States faced a setback from within his own party after Senator Rand Paul objected. Hawley had introduced the "No TikTok on United States Devices Act" in January and attempted to pass the bill by unanimous consent on Wednesday, but Paul opposed it.
Hawley argued that it was time to act because China's intent was clear. He added that they want to build a profile on every single American. However, Paul has recently stated that a ban would violate the First Amendment. Hawley countered by saying that the First Amendment doesn't protect the right to spy on American citizens.
Paul argued that accusations against TikTok involving data collection and algorithms could also be leveled against American companies. He called it a bad political move for Republicans and said that if they want to lose elections for a generation, they should pass this bill to ban TikTok. He added that many Democrats have joined Republicans in calling for this ban, but the blame will stick to Republicans more.
Hawley's effort came a week after TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew faced questions from lawmakers about the company's ties to China and handling of user data. The hearing held by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce was a bipartisan rebuke of TikTok. Federal lawmakers have introduced several bills that would empower the Biden administration to ban it nationwide, with a bipartisan Senate bill from Democratic Senator Mark Warner and Republican Senator John Thune garnering bipartisan support.
Warner has expressed his belief that the White House is very much in favor of this bill. However, Hawley's bill differs from the Warner-Thune measure in that it specifically targets TikTok, while the other proposal would apply to technology tied to China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela that poses a national security risk. The app is already prohibited on federal government devices, including military devices, and a growing number of states have also implemented it on state government devices.
The disagreement between Republican senators highlights the ongoing debate over the Chinese-owned app's risks to national security and user privacy in the US. It remains to be seen how lawmakers will proceed with controlling the app's use in the country.
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