Defense bill passed by House would ban TikTok from government devices

An amendment banning the use of TikTok on government devices was successfully attached to the annual defense policy passed by the House on Tuesday.

The proposal, presented by the Rep. Ken buckKenneth (Ken) Robert BuckHouse’s panel brings forward the police reform bill The Hill Coronavirus Report: Representative Val Demings calls for a new DOJ Office of Police Standards; Trump and Republican Party to withdraw NC House convention The Republican Party urges Trump not to support additional funding for state and local governments MORE (D-Colo.), Would prohibit federal employees from downloading the short-form video app on government-issued devices.

The successful amendment comes amid growing scrutiny by TikTok as a threat to national security due to its ties to China. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has its headquarters and operations in Beijing.

A TikTok spokesman said in a statement to The Hill that the company’s app is for “entertainment and creative expression, which we recognize is not what federal government devices are for.”

The company has maintained that it does not transfer data to the Chinese government.

The Trump administration has suggested it will ban TikTok entirely due to its ties to the Chinese Communist Party, although no specific timeline or mechanism has been provided.

Now that the House has passed the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a margin of 295 to 125, the Senate is likely to pass its own version of the bill, then the two houses will unite to compromise the legislation .

Buck’s amendment reflects a bill introduced in the Senate by Sens. Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyHillicon Valley: Justice Department Charges Chinese Hackers Charged With Attacking COVID-19 Investigation | House votes to ban TikTok on government devices Defense bill passed by House would ban TikTok from government devices The House passes a defense policy law that Trump threatened to veto MORE (R-Mo.) And Rick Scott (R-Fla.), So it’s likely to at least be considered a TikTok ban.

However, the entire bill may be shot down, with the White House threatening to veto it over a provision directing the Pentagon to rename the military bases that currently bear the name of the Confederate leaders.

Also in the NDAA House version there are two amendments by the representative. Yvette ClarkeYvette Diane ClarkeHow a progressive populist appears to have overthrown Engel Overnight Defense: United States formally rejects claims of Beijing South China Sea | House ready to consider defense policy law next week 57 injured as firefighters fight fire on warship Congress pulls blows at firestorm from Russian rewards MORE (DN.Y.) that requires the military to inform Congress about the defense implications of counterfeiting and the creation of a new working group to assess its national security risks.

The New York lawmaker also successfully attached an amendment that prohibits the Defense Department from using funds in artificial intelligence systems that have not been investigated for algorithmic biases.

Rep. Jennifer WextonJennifer Lynn Wexton The Hill Campaign Report: Cook Shifts 20 House Races to Democrats Cook Shifts 20 House Districts to Democrats NIGHT ENERGY: House passes green infrastructure plan .5T | Rubio seeks a defense bill to block offshore drilling, but some fear it could create a loophole | DC area lawmakers push for analysis before federal agencies can be relocated MORE (D-Va.) He sponsored another successful amendment that requires a biennial report on foreign-influenced campaigns targeting US elections.

Updated at 6:40 pm