Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley attempted to force a Senate vote on legislation that would prohibit TikTok from operating in the United States on Wednesday, but he was blocked by a fellow Republican, as lawmakers in both chambers continue to debate what action, if any, should be taken against the social media app.
Hawley called TikTok “digital fentanyl” and claimed it could give the Chinese government access to data from 150 million American users in an attempt to force a vote — a move that rarely works in the Senate because one senator’s objection can block it. Within 30 days, his bill would block and prohibit U.S. transactions with TikTok’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd.
According to Hawley, the bill “sends the message to Communist China that you cannot buy us.”
Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul objected to Hawley’s motion, claiming that attempting to ban an app would violate the Constitution and enrage the millions of voters who use it. “Whether you like it or not, speech is protected,” Paul said.
Hawley’s effort to draw attention to the issue comes just a week after a tense House hearing in which lawmakers from both parties grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about his company’s ties to China’s communist government, data security, and harmful content on the app.
Chew tried to reassure lawmakers that the massively popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned because of its Chinese connections. However, the tense standoff has provided new impetus to Hawley and other lawmakers who believe it should be banned or restricted.
The Missouri senator stated that Congress “should act decisively to directly prohibit TikTok.” Other lawmakers have considered broader approaches, but no piece of legislation has received widespread support.
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, does not specifically mention TikTok but would give the Commerce Department authority to review and potentially restrict foreign threats to technology platforms. The White House has endorsed the bill, but it is unclear whether it will be introduced in the Senate or garner much support among House Republicans.
Another bill, sponsored by Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, would, like Hawley’s, prohibit U.S. economic transactions with TikTok, but would also establish a new framework for the executive branch to block any foreign apps deemed hostile.
Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., are cosponsors of his bill.
Those pushing for new legislation point to a December bill that banned TikTok from most government devices. Despite the bipartisan wishes, the varying proposals show how difficult it could be to reach an agreement on an unprecedented effort to ban or restrict the use of an app used by millions of Americans.
Trying to ban an app like TikTok, according to Paul, is a slippery slope. He’s had YouTube censor his videos, but he still believes the company has a right to exist.
“I despise these people, but I won’t vote to ban them,” he said. “In the United States, we do not prohibit things that are unpopular.”
