Some netizens are concerned that a bill banning TikTok use in the US may have an impact on VPNs. Let’s explore these theories and see what experts say.
The RESTRICT Bill was introduced in the US Senate in March 7. It seeks to safeguard national security online. If passed, it could result in apps and communications services that have connections to other countries being blocked in the US. According to digital experts, the bill contains broad language that could lead to further implications.
Online users are worried about the so-called “TikTok ban” bill’s possible impact on consumer access to VPNs, while the legislation’s authors have claimed it will not impact on VPNs at all. Here’s what we know so far.
How does the TikTok ban act work?
The TikTok ban bill, formally known as the RESTRICT Act or The Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act, seeks to “limit national security risks by allowing the Department of Commerce to review, block, and mitigate transactions involving foreign information and communications technology (ICT) that pose undue risk.”
The bill applies to technology from “foreign adversaries” of the US, such as China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela. The RESTRICT Act will allow the government to prohibit TikTok, which is a Chinese app.
This Act gives the power to the government to inspect any technology that is being used in the US by over 1,000,000 people.
Will VPNs be affected by the ‘TikTok ban’ bill?
Some digital experts have raised concerns over whether using a VPN to access services banned in the US could be interpreted as illegal based on certain sections of the RESTRICT Act, which refer to services “designed or intended to evade or circumvent the application of this Act.”
The bill’s criminal penalties include a fine of up to $1 million and/or imprisonment of up to 20 years.
“The RESTRICT Act is a concerning distraction with insanely broad language that raises serious human and civil rights concerns,” Willmary Escoto, US policy analyst for digital rights organization Access Now SubmittedVICE.
However, Rachel Cohen, communications director for Senator Mark Warner, who is one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said in a statement: “This legislation is aimed squarely at companies like Kaspersky, Huawei and TikTok that create systemic risks to the United States’ national security—not at individual users.”
She added: “The threshold for criminal penalty in this bill is incredibly high—too high to ever be concerned with the actions of someone like an individual user of TikTok or a VPN.”
What is a VPN and how do they work?
VPN stands for virtual private networks and is an online service to protect your internet connection. VPNs create an encrypted tunnel for a user’s data and protect their online identity by hiding their IP address.
Escoto added that VPNs are also used for social justice purposes: “Many individuals and organizations, including journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, use VPNs to protect their online activity from surveillance and censorship. The RESTRICT Act would expose these groups to monitoring and repression, which could have a chilling effect on free speech and expression.”