Legislation that would institute a TikTok ban on government devices has cleared the first major hurdle in Congress, passing the Senate with unanimous consent. The "No TikTok on Government Devices Act" was authored by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) but had strong bipartisan support.
The Trump administration set the internet ablaze when it issued an executive order that sets a firm date for a TikTok ban. That Tencent-owned WeChat would also be included was something of a surprise.
The Australia TikTok ban follows the same concerns that have prompted actions by its allies; fears that sensitive personal or classified information will find its way from government devices to ByteDance servers in China.
TikTok is no longer welcome on the devices of federal agencies, along with many state governments. But some in Congress are calling for an even broader TikTok ban, to the point of removing it from the country entirely.
The South Dakota TikTok ban applies to the devices of government agencies, employees and contractors, put forward in the interest of protecting state and national security.
While many CISOs are considering a TikTok ban on corporate devices, implementation can be challenging for any organization especially to those with a BYOD policy. Unified endpoint management (UEM) can play a crucial role in meeting this challenge.
The White House has ordered federal agencies to remove TikTok from government devices within 30 days. The TikTok ban includes any app made by parent company Bytedance, and extends to government contractors to be implemented over a longer period of time.
In line with the Trump administration's recent overtures toward a nationwide TikTok ban, the new bill if passed would ban TikTok on all devices throughout the US government.
Government bans have been discussed under both the Trump and Biden administrations in the US. The transparency center is part of TikTok’s bid to reassure regulators.
In all likelihood, Montana’s TikTok ban won’t stand up through the courts, which will lead to an even more confounding situation regarding TikTok’s very existence within the country.