US politicians are taking TikTok very seriously. Tuesday saw the announcement of bipartisan legislation to outlaw the Chinese video-sharing software by Republican Senator Marco Rubio. The US has been worried that China could censor content and snoop on Americans using the ByteDance app.
According to a news release from Rubio’s office, the measure aims to restrict any transactions from any social media companies based in or influenced by China and Russia. The message went on to say that Republican congressman Mike Gallagher and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi have sponsored a parallel bill in the US House of Representatives.
Responding to the development, TikTok called the ban ‘politically motivated.’
‘It is troubling that rather than encouraging the administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok, some members of Congress have decided to push for a politically-motivated ban that will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States,’ a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
The business added that it would keep Congress members informed of its initiatives to secure the platform domestically.