Washington: A proposal that would give President Joe Biden the authority to outlaw TikTok and other Chinese-owned social media platforms has been advanced by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Federal employees were recently told to delete the app by the Biden administration.

The measure, put forth by Texas Representative Michael McCaul, was approved by a vote of 24 to 16 in favour of it. The "Deterring America's Technological Adversaries Act (DATA Act), which would prohibit TikTok and any other applications "subject to the influence of China," would give the president the authority to impose sanctions on TikTok and ByteDance.

Before the measure can reach Vice President Biden's desk and possibly become law, it must be approved by both the Senate and the entire House of Representatives.

Also Read: US is planning to impose new sanctions on China with the help of its close allies

The McCaul act refers to earlier cautions issued by US intelligence chiefs regarding TikTok and its data collection practises. FBI Director Christopher Wray is one of them. In a statement to Congress last year, he said that "the Chinese government could use [TikTok] to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations."

Both TikTok and the Chinese government deny using the app for spying or surveillance, and Beijing accuses US officials of stifling foreign tech companies under the guise of national security.

Also Read: Defense Minister: Germany's military is unable to protect the nation

Federal employees are already prohibited from using TikTok on work-related devices by the Biden administration, and recent restrictions have also been enacted by the European Commission and the Canadian government.

In 2020, former President Donald Trump thought about enacting a broad ban, but his plan was ultimately rejected by a judge, and Vice President Joe Biden abandoned it the following year.

TikTok has recently come under the spotlight from US lawmakers and officials amid a rising tide of anti-China sentiment in Washington. While the Pentagon is reportedly quadrupling its military garrison and expanding its training mission on the island, President Biden has questioned the US's recognition of Taiwan as Chinese territory numerous times over the past year.

Also Read: Blinken: The Chinese peace plan for Ukraine has 'positive elements'

In an effort to increase US semiconductor production and thwart China's expanding industry dominance, Biden signed the CHIPS Act into law last August. During a hearing on Tuesday on countering Chinese "aggression," McCaul's committee also passed a resolution to deprive China of its status as a "developing country," which makes it subject to fewer restrictions under multilateral agreements, particularly those governing pollution and climate change.