White House Deputy Spokesperson Olivia Dalton answered journalists’ questions on the plane they were traveling due to Biden’s program in Virginia Beach.
Stating that they have clearly expressed their concerns about the Chinese video sharing application TikTok, Dalton noted that the Joe Biden administration focuses on the problems caused by some countries, including China, which tries to use digital technologies and Americans’ data in a way that poses national security risks.
In this context, Dalton pointed out that there is an ongoing review of the Foreign Investments Committee (CFIUS), affiliated to the Treasury Department, and stated that they are reviewing the steps that can be taken within the authority of the executive branch, including enacting the presidential directive that defines additional national security factors.
Dalton, who did not answer the question of whether the TikTok ban, which covers government institutions, will be extended to include all Americans, said that they plan to work with Congress on the steps to be taken regarding data security.
TikTok ban in government institutions in the USA
In the US today, government agencies were given 30 days to enforce the ban on the use of TikTok on official phones.
Many government agencies, including the White House, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, banned TikTok without waiting for the December vote in Congress. The US Senate unanimously passed the bill on December 15, 2022, which bans federal government employees from downloading TikTok to state-owned devices due to “national security concerns”.
On December 28, 2022, the US House of Representatives banned the download and use of the TikTok application on official devices used by its members and employees. Many states have passed similar laws banning the use of TikTok, including Maryland, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana, and Texas.
The European Union (EU) executive body, the EU Commission, also imposed a TikTok ban on its employees on February 23 due to security concerns.