Lawmakers move to crack down on TikTok

OThis is a list of the top ten most popular websites in the world social media Washington officials have increased regulatory pressure on top executives as they examine companies more closely amid increasing concerns about the platform’s security. National security.

Senior members of Congress and the Biden administration want new powers to limit the influence of TikTokByteDance, a Beijing-based company, owns the video-sharing platform. They argue that the Chinese communist government can use the platform for its authoritarian agenda.

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On March. A bipartisan group of senators presented a bill on Mar. 7 that would give the government more power to combat foreign adversaries who pose a threat national security. “Today, the threat that everyone is talking about is TikTok, and how it could enable surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party, or facilitate the spread of malign influence campaigns in the U.S.,” Senator Mark Warner (D.VA), who is the chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee, stated in a Statement An announcement of the legislation.

“Before TikTok, however, it was Huawei and ZTE, which threatened our nation’s telecommunications networks,” Warner said. “We need a comprehensive, risk-based approach that proactively tackles sources of potentially dangerous technology before they gain a foothold in America, so we aren’t playing Whac-A-Mole and scrambling to catch up once they’re already ubiquitous.”

Warner, along with Senate Minority Whip John Thune, (R-SD), introduced the bill. It is the latest Capitol Hill action that seeks to limit the app’s operations in the U.S., the country where it is most popular among teenagers and young adults. The legislation is co-sponsored by ten other senators representing both parties.

A week earlier, Republicans were on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Passed a bill To give the president the power of banning TikTok specifically, Senator Marco Rubio (R–FL), Warner’s counterpart in the intelligence panel, joined two House Members in December. Introduce legislation TikTok is the target. Federal agencies and federal departments were ordered to remove the app off their devices as a result of a ban Congress passed last year.

The RESTRICT Act has a wider bipartisan support than previous efforts and the White House’s backing. This is the greatest threat to TikTok’s West-based future.

“This legislation would provide the U.S. government with new mechanisms to mitigate the national security risks posed by high-risk technology businesses operating in the United States,” Jake Sullivan, White House national security advisor, said in a Statement. “Critically, it would strengthen our ability to address discrete risks posed by individual transactions, and systemic risks posed by certain classes of transactions involving countries of concern in sensitive technology sectors.”

“We look forward to continue working with both Democrats and Republicans on this bill, and urge Congress to act quickly to send it to the President’s desk,” Sullivan added.

TikTok spokesperson said that the legislation was unfair and insulting. “U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide,” Per Reuters.

The new congressional measures were taken in the midst of increasing tensions between America and China. After the balloon flew over the Atlantic Ocean, an American fighter jet shot it down.

“If the U.S. does not hit the brakes but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing, and there will surely be conflict and confrontation,” Qin Gang is China’s new foreign secretary. recently.

In its annual unclassified threat assessment, the U.S. intelligence agency listed China as one of its main adversaries. This was released Wednesday before public testimony by heads of agencies on Capitol Hill. “Efforts by Russia, China, and other countries to promote authoritarianism and spread disinformation is helping fuel a larger competition between democratic and authoritarian forms of government,” The Report From the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “This competition exploits global information flows to gain influence and impacts nearly all countries, contributing to democratic backsliding, threats of political instability, and violent societal conflict through misinformation and disinformation.”

“Beijing largely concentrates its U.S.-focused influence efforts on shaping U.S. policy and the U.S. public’s perception of China in a positive direction, but has shown a willingness to meddle in select election races that involved perceived anti-China politicians,” The report was updated.

Christopher Wray, FBI Director, stated that the Chinese government could access millions of users’ data through TikTok, control their phones, and then use it to gain access to the user data.