Description:
S. 3455 would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in consultation with other government agencies to develop guidelines that would require the removal of the social networking service TikTok from any executive branch information technology. Several federal laws, regulations, and policies prohibit the use of government property for unauthorized purposes. S. 3455 would expand those prohibitions to include TikTok or any successor service provided by its developer. Some federal agencies including the Department of Defense have already banned TikTok from their devices. Based on the cost of similar requirements, CBO estimates that implementing S. 3455 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2020-2025 period, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Those costs would primarily be for administrative expenses at OMB to develop the guidelines and for other government agencies to comply with the new restriction. Enacting S. 3455 could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs.
