In this file illustration photo taken on April 13, 2020 the social media application logo of TikTok is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo: AFP)
August 5, 2020
US Senate votes to ban TikTok on government phones
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate voted Thursday to bar TikTok from being downloaded onto US government employees’ telephones, intensifying US scrutiny of the popular Chinese-owned video app.
The bill passed by the Republican controlled Senate now goes to the House of Representatives, led by Democrats.
“TikTok is a major security risk and has no place on government devices,” said Republican Senator Josh Hawley, the sponsor of the bill.
President Donald Trump, who has locked horns with China on a range of issues including trade and the pandemic, has set a deadline of mid-September for TikTok to be acquired by a US firm or be banned in the US.
