FCC Commissioner says Kentucky government ban on TikTok is ‘not quite enough’

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – More than 20 states have banned the Chinese-owned TikTok app from government devices because of national security concerns. Kentucky is one of those states. But Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr said Tuesday more needs to be done.

“It’s not quite enough,” Carr said in an interview with WAVE News. “We need to go further, and my view even post some sort of nationwide ban which switch with the treasury department back in Washington. They are examining whether to do that or not. But this is important step in the right direction.”

Carr is pushing for a national TikTok ban on all devices in the U.S. He warns of Tiktok content that is a threat to the mental health of teens, contributing to self-harming behavior.

“A lot of parents think of TikTok like they think of regular social media, like Facebook where you’re seeing your friends and their contact,” Carr said. “TikTok operates fundamentally different. It’s videos being fed immediately to your kids based on an algorithm designed in Beijing. So, it’s something that’s very worrisome for parents and for national security issues.”

“Search and browsing history, keystroke patterns, biometrics. And all of that has been accessed from inside of China, at least according to allegations,” Carr said. “That’s a real threat when you look at blackmail, espionage, all sorts of maligned conduct.”

The addictive content of TikTok has earned the app the nickname “digital fentanyl.”

Congress in December banned the app on millions of federal devices.

“Well, those are important steps to take,” Carr said, “and I think that the ball does shift squarely back to the Biden administration, back in Washington DC, to take a look at this from a nationwide perspective and looking at personal devices as well.”

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