Republicans call for TikTok ban in House, Senate

A group of Republicans are calling on House and Senate leaders to bar lawmakers from using TikTok amid a raging the debate over whether to ban the social media platform at the federal level.

“We urge you to amend the House and Senate rules to bar members of Congress from continued use of TikTok and take any other appropriate measures to mitigate the risks of this de-facto, spyware app,” a group of GOP lawmakers, led by Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Texas), said in a letter Monday to rules and administration leaders in both chambers.

The letter, which was first reported by Politico, was signed by two other GOP senators and 13 other House members. It cites security concerns over the video-based social media platform, which is owned by a Chinese parent company.

“It is clear from the testimony and comments from TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, that all members of Congress must lead by example and immediately stop using the platform for official communications,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “Even after the March 23, 2023, hearing, in which it became blatantly clear to the public that the China-based app is mining data and potentially spying on American citizens, members of Congress continue to utilize the app to communicate with their constituents.”

The push by Republican lawmakers to ban their colleagues from using the app comes after TikTok’s CEO was grilled in front of Congress last month, with lawmakers unloading about concerns over data protection and information privacy. TikTok has maintained that it does not have a relationship with the Chinese government and has never provided it user information.

But that has not stopped lawmakers from continuing to push for more restrictions on the use of the app, including a possible federal ban. A number of states have taken steps to ban the use of the app on government devices, and Montana lawmakers became the first to vote to ban the app outright in the state.

A number of federal lawmakers use TikTok to communicate with their constituents and increase their social media presence. Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.), a freshman lawmaker, has racked up a following of 1.6 million on the platform.