TikTok Banned: Rand Paul Against Josh Hawley's Bill Seeking to Ban the Chinese-owned App

Republican Sen. Rand Paul is against a bill that seeks to have TikTok banned in the U.S., breaking away from his GOP colleagues. Lawmakers cited security concerns with the social media app.

TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It was then reported that the company had gathered user data and spied on some journalists, according to NBC News.

Paul argued in his opinion piece in the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, that banning TikTok would reflect the Chinese government's imposed censorship.

He then asked the question of whether to ban the app as a free speech issue and said he would defend it against members of his own party.

Paul also wrote that he hopes "saner mids" would show which is more dangerous, whether videos of teenagers dancing or the "precedent of the U.S. government banning speech."

The Republican senator said that he will defend the Bill of Rights against all odds, even if it meant fighting against his own party members.

Rand Paul on TikTok Ban

Sen. Josh Hawley, who is also a Republican, sought unanimous consent for a TikTok ban bill, noting that it would protect the American people while also "sending a message to Communist China" that they cannot "buy us."

Reuters reported that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the house will be addressing the TikTok ban through an introduction of a bill. However, it was not clear what a final bill to address TikTok might look like, with the timing undetailed.

Last week, TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew appeared before Congress and received questions about national security concerns over the ByteDance app.

Meanwhile, Democrats have been pushing for privacy legislation that would not only be applicable to TikTok but would also cover other social media sites.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration also demanded TikTok divest its stakes or face a U.S. ban.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to have TikTok banned in 2020, which was blocked by U.S. courts.

Does TikTok Have 18+ Content?

Aside from possible security concerns, the platform also announced in January that it will be expanding its audience controls feature after concerns about the platform's sexually suggestive content.

However, the social media platform still has not provided any method for verifying the age of users, with its current policy noting that users have to be 13 or older to use the full version of the app.

Despite its age limit for the full version of the app, it does not verify users' age when they sign up, as reported by Mashable.

TikTok has also received backlash for its content on the platform, with parents and mental health experts noting that young people are at risk of consuming possibly harmful content on their For You Pages.

In November 2022, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation noted that the agency has "national security concerns" about the operations of TikTok in the U.S.

READ MORE: TikTok Under Fire for Its 'Blackout Challenge' Linked to 12-Year-Old Boy's Death

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Written by: Mary Webber

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