Senate unanimously passes ban on federal employees using TikTok on government devices

The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban federal employees from using Chinese social media platform TikTok on government-issued devices.

The upper chamber sent the measure to the House for approval after granting it their unanimous consent, the Wall Street Journal reported.

TikTok has long been the subject of federal scrutiny over potential security concerns involving its handling of U.S. user data and the close relationship between its parent company, the Beijing-based ByteDance, and the Chinese communist regime.

Former President Donald Trump unsuccessfully attempted to ban the app outright though lawmakers have continuously warned of the lingering threat it poses. The Senate bill comes the same day a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation to prohibit the app in the United States entirely.

Moreover, it follows the Wednesday unveiling of a bipartisan plan to sanction Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei, another Chinese company under scrutiny for its ties to Beijing. The plan would add the company to the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals list, which would prohibit American firms from dealing with the company almost entirely.