The White House announced on Monday that all government employees have 30 days to remove the TikTok app from federal devices, as reported first by Reuters.
Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young said that not only was the ban to be implemented but measures would be taken to prohibit internet traffic to the site, too, reported Reuters.
Expressing concerns of a security risk that could allow the app to sell user information to Chinese agencies through the app, the U.S. government first initiated discussion on TikTok security concerns late last year.
The Office of Budget and Management called the ban across federal agencies a “critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data,” per The Associated Press.
Canada and the European Union have announced similar moves to ban the app, per AP.
The Chinese government, on the other hand, was not thrilled with the banning of TikTok and showed its disagreement in a statement released on Tuesday.
“The U.S. has been over-stretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to suppress foreign companies,” said Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a daily press conference. Ning continued that the U.S. “should respect the principles of market economy and fair competition,” and “provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies.”
Beyond banning the TikTok app from federal devices, there is also consideration to go beyond federal agencies and ban the app on a national scale in the United States, per Reuters.
Tuesday, a bill is being put to a vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee that would allow President Joe Biden to ban the video app from all U.S. devices.