COLUMBUS, Ohio — This week, the U.S. Senate passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act,” which would ban the use of the app on government phones and devices.
What You Need To Know
- “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” would ban the app on government devices
- One of the lead sponsors on the bill is Republican Sen. Josh Hawley
- TikTok was created by Chinese company ByteDance
- Over a dozen states already have some form of ban for the app
- Only exceptions are for government entities tracking or investigating the app
Sarah Beavers has been a content creator for over three years. While she has a following on Instagram and Twitter, it was TikTok that allowed her to expand her reach to new heights with over 33,000 followers on the app.
She’s well-versed with the algorithm and for that reason said the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” is a good idea because of the amount of data tracked on the app.
“Platforms, I don't think people truly understand how much they track,” said Beavers. “They track how long you've stayed on the video, even if you didn't like it and you stayed and watched the whole video, they'll take that as like, 'ok, you had interest in that.' Every swipe, every scroll, every like, every click, every comment is tracked on social media.”
One of the bill's main sponsors is Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and it's based on the possibility the Chinese owned social media app could pose national security risks. Many politicians have used the app for campaign purposes in order to reach young people — but Beavers said that doing that on government-issued technology could not only be a security risk but could also feed into misinformation.
“When it comes to politicians, anyone, you have to understand your intent and the message and how you're communicating that message, especially to younger people,” said Beavers. “A lot of times on social media, people don't take the time to log off of social media and do their own personal research.”
Over a dozen states have already taken action against TikTok, with Georgia being the most recent. Ohio has yet to address the app through legislation.
Beavers said that if government entities want to use the app they should employ a team that knows how to use it, how to protect information and more.
“Social media is a whole other ecosystem and people don't understand that,” said Beavers. “The world we live in and social media, they mirror each other, but they're separate ecosystems, so get someone who specializes in that ecosystem so you can reap all of the benefits of your campaign or platform.”
The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and would need to pass in the House and be signed by President Joe Biden to be law. The only exceptions in the bill are for law-enforcement activities, national security interests and security researchers.