The ban on TikTok in the US has been met with criticism from the company, with spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter stating that Congress’s decision to ban TikTok on government devices is “a political gesture that will do nothing to advance national security interests.” However, the US government’s actions seem to be part of a larger effort to crack down on the app and its perceived risks to national security. The Trump administration had previously attempted to ban the app entirely in the US, but this effort was blocked by a federal judge in September. The judge stated that the ban would likely be found unconstitutional as it violated the First Amendment’s protection of free expression. The ban on TikTok in the House of Representatives and the executive branch is a more limited measure, but it still raises questions about the app’s future in the US.
