White House Threatens Nationwide TikTok Ban

Roy Maurer By Roy Maurer March 20, 2023
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​The Biden administration is demanding that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their stakes in the company, citing national-security concerns, or face a nationwide ban of the popular video-sharing app. TikTok is owned by the Beijing-based ByteDance.

Some HR teams have used TikTok in recent years for recruiting, building employer brand, communicating with employees, and learning and development. One content creator went viral in 2022 bringing awareness to salary transparency.

We've rounded up articles from SHRM Online and other outlets to provide more context on the news.

Ban Uncertain

The Biden administration's move against TikTok could face a long struggle. In 2020, U.S. courts struck down attempts by the Trump administration to block Americans' access to the app. The company also might be able to argue that the move would violate rules which exempt cross-border communications from the president's powers to address national-security threats through economic sanctions.

(The Wall Street Journal)

Public-Sector Bans

TikTok has already been banned on U.S. government work devices, and more than half of U.S. states have banned the app on state government devices as well. There has been increasing bipartisan support for a full nationwide ban.

(CBS News)

UK, EU Ban TikTok

The United Kingdom announced last week that it also plans to ban the video app on government devices, following a similar action in the European Union. Canada announced a ban on public-sector work devices Feb. 27.

(CNBC)

Recruiting Across Social

Recruiters have stepped up their use of social media in recent years—including TikTok—to find and connect with potential candidates for a wide range of jobs.

(SHRM Online)

Resource for Job Seekers

The concept of the "video resume" attracted attention when TikTok announced it was getting into the recruiting space with the launch of TikTok Resumes, designed to help job seekers apply for roles by sending a video introduction of themselves to participating employers.

(SHRM Online)

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