Written by DEPKES.ORG March 2023
Thursday’s marathon TikTok hearing on Capitol Hill looked a lot like a rare show of unity in a divided Washington: Republicans and Democrats agreeing in public about the dangers of Chinese influence and pressing for the safety of American kids.
The Biden administration is now demanding that the app’s Chinese owners sell it or face an outright ban on all U.S. devices. And the Democratic-controlled Senate has the most developed bill that would grant the White House more power to restrict TikTok and other risky foreign apps.
But Democrats remain far from united about what to do. As powerful senators push for aggressive action, some of the more tech-savvy Democrats — particularly in the House — are calling for restraint when it comes to a ban.
Some Senate Democrats remain skeptical of a TikTok ban, especially if it comes at the expense of broader privacy reforms.
Senate Dems shrug off TikTok’s politics
While that legislation would also enhance the White House’s power to restrict TikTok, it passed out of committee last month with no Democratic support.
House Dems still skeptical