Potential Ban of TikTok (Again) Due to Clever RESTRICT Act

The Political Drama Surrounding TikTok

TikTok is a billion-user platform that has been stirring up political and social media drama. Politicians from different countries around the world are persuaded that TikTok is a dangerous app. Despite the app’s attempts to provide transparency and remain innocent, the US is still pursuing it. Recently, the US introduced a bill called RESTRICT to empower the Commerce Department to ban foreign applications that pose a security threat.

The Details of the RESTRICT Bill

RESTRICT refers to “Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology”. The bill has bi-partisan support and doesn’t mention TikTok directly. The aim of the bill is to create a federal network that will evaluate foreign companies deemed as “high risk” and punish them if necessary. The bill will not target a specific app but a given type of apps. It will offer instant results and continuous protection in the future. Google and Apple will be compelled to remove the app from their respective app stores through the bestowed authority of the bill.

TikTok’s Stand

TikTok has not commented on this specific occurrence. However, the company’s stance hasn’t changed throughout the numerous challenges it has faced. The platform is striving to remain compliant and transparent, which is commendable. It will be interesting to see how this political drama surrounding TikTok will play out in the end.

The Information TikTok Knows About You

Apart from the political drama surrounding TikTok, the platform knows a lot about its users, including their interests. For instance, if you like cats, the platform will know about it. However, TikTok will need to keep track of its users’ data if it wants to remain transparent.