Bill Filed to Block TikTok Access on State Phones, Computers

Legislature, ,

On Monday Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville) filed S.B. 4 to restrict access to TikTok on computers, tablets, phones, and other devices owned by the State of Arkansas.

TikTok is the most popular social media platform in the world. The application boasts a billion users worldwide, and 135 million in the U.S., but many Americans are bothered by the application’s possible ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese company ByteDance owns TikTok. Last week FBI Director Christopher Wray voiced concerns about the CCP’s ability to influence ByteDance and TikTok.

The concerns are similar to those raised about Facebook’s and Twitter’s abilities to harvest user data and display or suppress information in their news feeds.

If the Chinese Communist Party can influence TikTok, the CCP may be able to manipulate content and influence users on the world’s largest social media platform.

S.B. 4 prohibits state employees and contractors from downloading or using the TikTok application on a device that is owned or leased by the State of Arkansas.

The bill does not ban TikTok for every Arkansan, but it does prevent government employees and contractors — such as public school teachers or people who work for government agencies — from using TikTok on phones or computers that belong to the State of Arkansas.

You can read S.B. 4 here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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U.S. Sen. Cotton Demands Answers On Foreign TikTok Employees in the U.S.

China

The following is a press release from U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R — Arkansas).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2022

 Cotton Demands Answers on Foreign TikTok Employees in the US

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding security concerns that TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance pose to American citizens’ personal data. The letter requested details on TikTok’s use of H-1B guest workers who may have ties to the Chinese Communist Party. 

In part, Senator Cotton wrote: 

“In 2022 alone DHS has approved over 570 new and continuing H-1B visas for foreign individuals to work at ByteDance and TikTok’s offices in California. Given the security concerns with TikTok and the company’s repeated statements about “US-based” teams and data centers, having hundreds of foreign nationals working in those offices presents another potential threat.”

Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

November 14, 2022

The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Secretary Mayorkas:

I write regarding TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and their use of H-1B guest worker visas for employees who might have ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). TikTok captures vast amounts of private information on users, including American citizens, and has long been suspected of providing the CCP with potential access to that information. This threatens the safety and security of American citizens, and also functions as an avenue for the Chinese government to track the locations of and develop blackmail on Federal employees and contractors.

In response to security and espionage concerns, TikTok claims that it stores “all TikTok US user data in the United States,” and that its “data centers are located entirely outside of China.” In a Senate hearing, TikTok’s vice president added that TikTok has a “US-based security team that handles access to user data.” However, recent public reports indicate that sensitive data on American users of TikTok has been accessed from within China, that Beijing-based employees of ByteDance have targeted specific American users for surveillance, and that at least 300 TikTok and ByteDance employees are also current or former employees of Chinese state media.

In 2022 alone, DHS has approved over 570 new and continuing H-1B visas for foreign individuals to work at ByteDance and TikTok’s offices in California. Given the security concerns with TikTok and the company’s repeated statements about “US-based” teams and data centers, having hundreds of foreign nationals working in those offices presents another potential threat. For each H-1B application sponsored by ByteDance or TikTok in 2022, please provide a list of the nationalities and job titles of each applicant employee no later than 5:00PM on Tuesday, November 15.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

________________

Tom Cotton

United States Senator

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