Staff Reports
In response to the growing popularity of the Chinese app TikTok, the federal government has given agencies just a month to remove it from their devices.
Shalanda Young, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, sent a memorandum to agency heads and executive departments about implementing guidance regarding the ban on the TikTok app on government-issued devices.
In the memorandum, Young noted that the No TikTok on government devices Act of 2023 required the OMB to work with other agencies to develop guidelines and standards that would allow them to remove the app from their devices.
The memorandum provided agencies with clear instructions on how they should remove TikTok.
The Administration has made advancing our nation’s cybersecurity a top priority.
Today, OMB is releasing guidance on implementation of the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act,” requiring agencies to cease using the app except in select circumstances.https://t.co/rQp9CTI2b9
— Office of Management and Budget (@OMBPress) February 27, 2023
According to the Act, the OMB is required to notify agencies about the ban on the TikTok app on government-issued devices. It also applies to all executive agencies and their related entities.
Besides the app, the memorandum also provided a list of other prohibited activities that agencies should take immediately.
The Act also requires the OMB to identify the specific features and functions of the TikTok app that are covered by the information technology policy.
The OMB also established an internal process that would allow agencies to determine which activities are prohibited and which exceptions should be allowed.
Except in cases of authorized exceptions, the OMB stated that agencies should remove and prevent installations of the TikTok app on their devices.
The OMB also stated that agencies should prevent internet traffic from going through their IT infrastructure to a specific app.
The memorandum also provided a list of additional requirements that agencies should follow within 90 and 120 days following the issue date.
Despite the steps taken by the OMB, the TikTok app still poses a national security risk to the US. According to Kara Frederick, the head of the Heritage Foundation's Tech Policy Center, the government should immediately end TikTok's operations.
The Chinese government criticized the US for its actions, saying that they were wrong.
China's foreign ministry spokesperson said that the country's government firmly opposes the actions taken by the US. She also called on the US to stop discriminating against foreign companies and respect the principles of free and fair competition.
Mao said that the world's top superpower should be ashamed of itself for how it can be so scared of the TikTok app, which is popular among young people.
A representative of TikTok claimed that the government's actions against the app were politically motivated.
TikTok noted that the government's actions against the app were politically motivated and that they were a blueprint for other governments. In an emailed statement, the company representative said that the ban on the TikTok app was carried out without any deliberation. He added that the company hoped that the US Congress would find a solution that would not restrict the freedom of speech of Americans.
The company representative also urged the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) to adopt the agreement that it had worked with the government for the past two years. He noted that the company was working with the country's top security agencies to implement the necessary measures to protect its platform.
The popular Chinese app TikTok has been under scrutiny from both the federal and state levels. In over 30 states, including Arkansas, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Nebraska, the government has banned the app from using networks and devices.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott released a security plan that aimed to address the various vulnerabilities that were caused by the use of the TikTok app and other software on state-issued devices.
The plan was aimed at restricting the use of prohibited technologies by state agencies and educational institutions. It required all state agencies and universities to implement their own security policies.
The chief executive officer of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, is scheduled to appear before a panel of the US House of Representatives on March 23.
A bill that would give the government the legal authority to ban the TikToks app over national-security concerns is expected to be voted on by the House Foreign Affairs committee on Tuesday.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on WND.
