WeChat No More Act

Bill: 116-s-4452
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
Introduced: 2020-08-05
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Computer security and identity theft

Congressional officers and employees

Digital media

Government corporations and government-sponsored enterprises

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Telephone and wireless communication
Latest action: action_date: 2020-08-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-08-05
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>WeChat No More Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits federal employees from using the messaging application WeChat on government-issued devices.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill prohibits employees and officers of the United States, Members of Congress, congressional employees, and officers and employees of government corporations from downloading or using WeChat, or any successor application from the developer, on any device issued by the federal government or a government corporation, with the exception of specified activities (e.g., cybersecurity research).</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4452 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES August 5, 2020 Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To prohibit Federal employees from downloading or using WeChat on Government devices.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the WeChat No More Act . 2. Prohibition of Federal employees from downloading or using WeChat on Government devices (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the terms congressional employee , Government corporation , Member of Congress , and officer have the meanings given such terms in section 2107, 103, 2106, and 2104 of title 5, United States Code, respectively; and (2) the term Federal employee — (A) means an employee of any establishment or office in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Federal Government; and (B) includes a congressional employee. (b) Prohibition Except as provided in subsection (c), no Federal employee, officer, Member of Congress, or officer or employee of a Government corporation may download or use on any device issued or provided by the United States or a Government corporation WeChat, or any successor application that is developed by Tencent Holdings Limited, an entity owned by Tencent Holdings Limited, a successor to Tencent Holdings Limited, or an entity owned by a successor to Tencent Holdings Limited. (c) Exception Subsection (b) shall not apply to downloading or using an application on a device issued by the United States or a Government corporation in connection with the duties of a Federal employee, officer, Member of Congress, or officer or employee of a Government corporation relating to cybersecurity research, conducting an investigation, pursuing an enforcement action, a disciplinary action, or an intelligence activity.