Pa. Senate Panel Unanimously Backs Possible TikTok Ban

A Pennsylvania bill to ban TikTok on government devices and state networks advanced Monday. The Senate Communications Committee voted unanimously by voice to clear SB-379. The bill will “help protect our state’s infrastructure and eliminate the potential access point for bad actors,” Chair Tracy Pennycuick (R) said at the livestreamed hearing. Minority Chair Jimmy Dillon (D) said he will vote for the bill to keep the conversation going. But he noted the Pennsylvania Office of Administration is opposed because it doesn’t think a statutory change is necessary and it's “concerned about a piecemeal approach for banning applications one by one.” Dillon hopes for more conversations with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) about potential executive action, he said. Sponsor Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R) said 27 states already ban TikTok and it’s “imperative that Pennsylvania takes bold and decisive action.”