President Joe Biden signed a bill that bans TikTok on federal government devices

President Joe Biden signed a bill that bans TikTok from federal government devices over security concerns, as tensions rise between the US and China.<br><br>The move was included in a broader spending package. Several US states have also introduced their own bans.<br><br>There is concern that TikTok could be passing user information to the Chinese government.<br><br>The firm has repeatedly denied doing so. It says it operates independently of Beijing.<br><br>TikTok is owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance. It has insisted it does not store US data in China, and it reviews all content on US servers.<br><br>The ban means federal employees will no longer be able to access TikTok on government devices.<br><br>The fast growing platform has more than a billion users and is especially popular among younger generations. It makes money by selling targeted advertisements and has faced growing scrutiny from politicians in the US.<br><br>TikTok is banned in other countries, including India and Afghanistan, and it has been blocked from devices owned by several US universities and military branches.<br><br>The move could create tension between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies.<br><br>Both the US House and Senate, which are controlled by Democrats and Republicans respectively, passed the legislation last week.<br><br>Some US politicians have expressed concern that the app could be used by the Chinese government to gather information about federal employees, contractors or others.<br><br>Lawmakers who support the ban say that ByteDance could be forced to hand over data to Beijing.<br><br>The bill also prohibits the installation and use of Toca Life apps, which is owned by another Chinese company, on federal devices.<br><br>TikTok has said that its data is stored in the US, with backups in Singapore.<br><br>The company has said it is looking for a way to alleviate security concerns, but that a ban on the platform would not solve the issue.<br><br>The platform has fast become a mainstay of social media and politics, with the White House using TikTok to promote the president’s official business.<br><br>House Republicans have ramped up pressure to force the company to sell or divest its ownership.<br><br>The White House has not commented on the move, but has said that security officials are reviewing the app.<br><br>The bill is the first time politicians have moved to block a social media network from federal devices.<br><br>It does not affect the general public, but some politicians are calling for a further ban on the app.<br><br>TikTok is banned from being downloaded on state-owned devices in more than half the US.<br><br>This includes in Texas and Georgia, where several universities have also blocked students and faculty from accessing the app.<br><br>But other politicians have spoken out against the ban, with one senator calling it a “slippery slope”.<br><br>Some politicians believe that concern about TikTok data gathering is being conflated with broader anti-China sentiment.<br><br>Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the ban on the app was a “good step in the right direction”.<br><br>US politicians have repeatedly accused China of infiltrating technology firms and ramping up espionage efforts.<br><br>The US has also raised concerns about the security implications of the Chinese company Huawei, which it has blocked from participating in the rollout of 5G networks.<br><br>Lawmakers have also expressed concern about Chinese spy balloons and drones.<br><br>However, some have raised questions about the consistency of bans and pointed to cases where TikTok actually removed stolen information of US government officials and contractors.