A proposal to bar federal employees from using the Chinese app TikTok on government devices appeared set to become law, threatening to deal a blow to the company's reputation and scare off advertisers even if it will not affect many users, experts said.
U.S. lawmakers early on Tuesday included the proposal in a key spending bill, as first reported by Reuters, virtually ensuring its passage later this week following a Senate vote to green-light a similar measure.
The move is the latest U.S. effort to crack down on the popular social media platform, which has been the subject of a slew of recent state bans and a long-running U.S. national security probe over fears the app could be used by the Chinese government to censor content or spy on Americans.
While the new federal ban is not expected to put a significant dent in TikTok's estimated 130 million U.S. users, experts consulted by Reuters said the measure could damage the company's reputation, which could in turn scare away valuable advertisers.
Reuters
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