By Moynihan
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va) said he is planning to introduce a bipartisan bill this week that would grant the government authority to “ban or prohibit” foreign technology like the China-owned app TikTok.
The Senate Intelligence Committee chairman told “Fox News Sunday” he is working with Sen. John Thune (R-SD) on a bill aimed at keeping American data safe and preventing the spread of misinformation.
“They are taking data from Americans, not keeping it safe, but what worries me more with TikTok is that this can be a propaganda tool,” Warner said.
Reps for Warner and Thune did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Warner’s announcement comes on the heels of a concerted effort by Congress to crack down on TikTok. The short-form video app, which is owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, is used by more than 100 million Americans – the majority of whom are under 30.
Last Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a bill that gives President Biden the authority to ban foreign technologies including TikTok.
Also last week, the White House ordered government agencies to remove TikTok from all federal devices in the next 30 days.
Tensions with Beijing flared up last month after the US shot down a Chinese balloon that was reportedly spying on the US.
