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            \Congressional                                                ______
            R a    esearch Service






Restricting TikTok (Part I): Legal History and

Background



Updated June 22, 2023

The video-sharing platform TikTok has experienced a dramatic rise in users in the United States in recent
years, while at the same time some Members of Congress and Biden Administration officials have
described the application (app) as a national security threat. During the Trump Administration, concerns
about TikTok's data security and connections to the People's Republic of China (PRC) led to the attempt
to restrict the app's U.S. operations. In decisions that inform the current legislative debate, two federal
district courts concluded that aspects of the restrictions were unlawful because they exceeded the
President's statutory authority. Other elements of the Trump Administration's efforts are ongoing and
have been continued by the Biden Administration. This Sidebar discusses these past executive branch-led
efforts. A companion Sidebar examines current legislative proposals to restrict TikTok and constitutional
and other legal considerations for Congress to consider when crafting legislation.

Trump Administration Initiatives

President Trump sought to leverage two legal frameworks to restrict TikTok's U.S. presence and
operations: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the legal authorities
underpinning the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

IEEPA-Based Restrictions
As discussed in this CRS Report, IEEPA authorizes the President to regulate a variety of commercial
transactions and to block (i.e., freeze) foreign-owned property and assets subject to the jurisdiction of the
United States. Before invoking these authorities, the President, following the procedures of the National
Emergencies Act, must declare a national emergency related to an unusual and extraordinary threat,
which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States.
In 2019, President Trump laid the groundwork to invoke IEEPA by declaring a national emergency (2019
Emergency  Declaration) based on foreign adversaries' ability to exploit vulnerabilities in the U.S.
information and communication technology and services (ICTS) supply chain. In August 2020, the
President issued an executive order (2020 Order), which invoked the President's IEEPA authority to
restrict TikTok's U.S. operations in response to the ICTS emergency. Under authority delegated by the

                                                                 Congressional Research Service
                                                                   https://crsreports.congress.gov
                                                                                      LSB10940

CRS Legal Sidebar
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress

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