TikTok Ban (US Bill S. 686: The Restrict Act)
This article is about the new bill that is being brought to US Congress with the title US Bill S. 686: The Restrict Act. The US Bill S. 686 is also known as the TikTok Ban, following the current issue the government has with TikTok. What’s alarming is that the context of this bill might provide severe punishment for anyone who is accessing the internet. Continue reading this article to learn more.
The US Bill S. 686 aims for more than just banning TikTok. It also tackles “foreign adversaries” of apps like TikTok and more as long as they consider it a threat to US residents. Some of us may not be familiar with foreign adversaries. Let us discuss a little bit about this.
What are Foreign Adversaries?
Foreign adversaries pertain to foreign governments or foreign nongovernment organizations that are adverse to the safety of the United States of America or its people. We may consider them as foreign adversaries if they engage in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct that may affect the safety of the country and the people. The Secretary of Commerce, known as the “Secretary” in the US Bill S. 686 is the one who will determine whether an organization is adverse to the safety of the country and its people. He or she is not elected but rather appointed by the government.
The foreign adversaries include the following governments: the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Cuba, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela.
What Does The US Bill S. 686 (TikTok Ban) Say About Foreign Adversaries?
The US Bill S. 686 states that it will ban any technology device that may be used to communicate with any foreign adversaries. Examples of these technology devices are mobile networks, wireless networks, modems, routers, and more.
Apparently, applications like TikTok are also considered one of these technology devices. This is the reason why the US government is working on banning TikTok.
What Does The US Bill S. 686 (TikTok Ban) Grant The Government?
This bill about the TikTok ban is actually more than what we expected. It will give the government access to a lot of data via different access points. The access points are wireless local networks, cable access points, wireline access points, core networking systems, and more. It means that your data is not safe from the government. What’s more intriguing is that one of the access points is any app or platform with more than 1,000,000 users. This includes internet hosting services which means your internet service provider, cloud-based storage like your androids, iPhones, and even content delivery services.
What is the Consequence When You Violate the US Bill S. 686 (TikTok Ban)?
When you violate this bill or when you violate the TikTok ban, you will face some major consequences. Anyone who will try to bypass the blockage or banning of the app will pay a fine or years in prison. The Secretary may impose the following civic penalties on someone who will bypass the bill:
- A fine of $20,000 up to $1,000,000 depending on the severity of the violation and conviction
- 20 years of imprisonment
To learn more, you can read the US Bill S. 686 – Restrict Act
US Bill S. 686 on The Use of a VPN
The Us Bill S. 686 – Restrict Act also known as the TikTok Ban has no official mention of the use of a Virtual Private Network or VPN. Although the bill discusses bypassing restricted platforms is punishable by law.
We commonly use a VPN to access geo-restricted apps, content, and more. If this bill about the TikTok ban will become law, people in the US are not allowed to bypass geo-blocks even with the use of a VPN.
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Conclusion
A lot of people are against the TikTok ban. The US government in particular is prosecuting the CEO of TikTok and connecting him to the People’s Republic of China even though he is from Singapore.
We keep on wondering if this is the only motive of the government or if is it because there are tons of content on TikTok that exposes controversies, and conspiracies that the public is not supposed to know.
Which do you think of this bill that promotes TikTok ban? Let us know in the comment section below.
