Washington, February 28, 2023 (Lusa) – The United States has set a 30-day deadline for federal agencies to remove the Chinese-owned social network TikTok from government devices, after Canada and the European Commission made similar decisions.

The White House Office of Management and Budget calls the directive, released Monday, “a critical step in addressing the risks posed by the application to sensitive government data.”

Some government agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, have already implemented the restriction. The guidelines now call on other federal government entities to follow suit within 30 days.

TikTok, the international version of the Chinese app Douyin, is also no longer allowed on White House devices.

“The Biden-Harris administration has invested heavily in defending the nation’s digital infrastructure and restricting foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data,” the federal cybersecurity chief said.

“This guidance is part of the administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the security and privacy of the American people,” Chris DeRusha said.

The new rule was first reported by Reuters, according to the US news agency Associated Press.

The US Congress passed legislation in December that bans TikTok on government devices except in certain circumstances, including for national security, law enforcement and investigative purposes.

A TikTok spokeswoman said on Monday that the social network’s ban “on federal devices was passed in December without any deliberation” and that “unfortunately this approach has served as a model for other governments around the world.” “These bans are little more than political theater,” said Brooke Oberwetter.

Republicans are expected to move forward in the House of Representatives today with a bill that will give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok nationwide. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul, is intended to circumvent the challenges the government would face in court if it proceeds with sanctions against the company.

If passed, the law will allow Washington to not only ban TikTok but also other apps that threaten national security.

McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, strongly criticized the short-video social network, noting that it is used by the Chinese Communist Party to “manipulate and monitor users while devouring Americans’ data for use in evil activities”.

TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is hugely popular in the United States, being used by two-thirds of teenagers in the country. However, there are growing concerns that Beijing could misuse US user data obtained through the app.

The company has already rejected the app ban on federal devices and noted that it is developing data security and privacy plans as part of the Biden administration’s ongoing national security review.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government also announced a ban, from Monday, on the mobile phone app it provides to public servants, citing an “unacceptable level of risk” to privacy and security.

“On the mobile device, TikTok’s data collection methods provide considerable access to phone content,” said Treasury Board President Mona Fortier, who also added in a statement that the measure had taken “for preventive purposes”. .

Canada’s decision came days after a similar decision by the European Commission, which banned TikTok for its staff, to “protect” the institution.

CAD (RN) // VQ

By Impala News / Lusa

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