Extra unhealthy information for TikTok, with the US Home Overseas Affairs Committee in the present day voting to provide President Joe Biden the facility to ban the Chinese-owned app, if he deems such a transfer mandatory, amid ongoing safety discussions round its potential connection to the CCP.
The White Home has already introduced a full ban of TikTok on government-owned devices, following comparable strikes in over 30 US states. EU and Canadian officials have additionally adopted swimsuit, banning the app on all official units, as tensions between China and the west proceed to simmer, largely tied again to the Ukraine battle.
Earlier this month, the US ordered a Chinese balloon to be shot down, amid considerations that it was getting used to spy on the US and Canada, whereas rumors of China’s continued support for Russia’s attacks on Ukraine have additionally put it on a collision course with western governments.
Inside this, TikTok has turn out to be a much bigger focus. And whereas the app has been beneath CFIUS review for almost two years, discussions round its future at the moment are accelerating, which may see it banned outright within the US someday quickly.
TikTok responded to the information with this assertion:
In the present day’s announcement doesn’t give Biden the total inexperienced mild to ban the app, with the US Senate nonetheless required to provide sign-off earlier than a ban might be carried out. But it surely’s one other step in the direction of that subsequent stage, which more and more looks like it should result in a TikTok ban, or at least, a big change in path for the app.
Former US President Donald Trump ordered TikTok to be sold to a US company in 2020, or face a full ban within the area. That choice should still be one other method to go, which may finally see TikTok beneath new administration, versus going darkish within the US.
However then once more, rather a lot now is determined by China’s subsequent strikes, and whether or not it continues to conflict with the US.
The spy balloon incident looks like a turning level, of kinds, on this push, and it could be that relations between the 2 financial superpowers have now deteriorated to the purpose the place the US feels compelled to behave.
Clearly, safety officers have main considerations, and if that extends to authorities staff, it stands to motive that the identical logic may apply to common residents as nicely.
We now await the subsequent steps.
