US Senate votes to ban TikTok app on govt-owned phones amid data concerns

The US Senate voted to ban the hugely popular TikTok video-sharing app from all government-issued phones as the Biden administration considers restrictions on the Chinese-owned platform.

The measure, which was approved unanimously, would have to be passed by the US House before Congress leaves for the year.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, underscores fears that TikTok and its parent, ByteDance Ltd., could share information on US users with Chinese authorities. The Senate also passed the ban in the last Congress.

Last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Homeland Security Committee that China’s government could use TikTok to control millions of users’ data or software,