The Biden administration is under pressure to ban popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, but any such move likely hinges on passage of a new law that bolsters the government's authority to regulate speech, experts said.
Pressure is mounting from lawmakers and national security hawks to ban TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, over fears the app could censure content, influence users, and pass Americans' personal data to Beijing, allegations the company denies.
"RESTRICT is really helpful because it gives this completely new, from scratch, legal authority that doesn’t have any of those complications" under other laws, said Emily Kilcrease, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and former deputy assistant U.S. Trade Representative. "It’s a much stronger, cleaner legal authority."
TikTok, which FBI director Christopher Wray said in November could be used to "control software on millions of devices," has been in the crosshairs of the U.S. government for years, since powerful Republican Senator Marco Rubio called for its review in 2019. Meanwhile, a move by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a powerful body that scrutinizes foreign investments for national security risks, to force Bytedance to divest its U.S. TikTok business remains mired in negotiations two and a half years later.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Exclusive: TikTok’s CEO on the App’s Future in the U.S. - The Journal. - WSJ PodcastsTikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is due to testify before Congress this week, as the Biden administration demands that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their stakes in the company or face a possible U.S. ban of the app. In this exclusive interview with WSJ’s Stu Woo, the TikTok CEO said a sale won’t solve Washington’s security concerns. Further Reading: - TikTok CEO’s Message to Washington: A Sale Won’t Solve Security Concerns Further Listening: - How TikTok Became the World’s Favorite App - What’s Up With All the TikTok Bans?
Read more »
Bidens to host cast of Emmy-winning show 'Ted Lasso' to promote mental healthPresident Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host the cast of the TV series 'Ted Lasso' at the White House on Monday to promote mental health and well-being.
Read more »
Joe Biden denies Chinese money story that Hunter Biden confirmed: ‘That’s not true’President Joe Biden denied members of his family received more than $1 million from a Hunter Biden business associate — even though the president's son appeared to confirm it.
Read more »
Biden's Flip on Drilling in Alaska - The Journal. - WSJ PodcastsWhile campaigning for president, Joe Biden said there would be no new oil drilling on federal land. But last week he approved the Willow project, one of the largest domestic oil projects in years. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia explains why Biden made the shift. Further Reading: -Biden Administration Approves Willow Oil-Drilling Project in Alaskan Arctic Further Listening: -Why Biden Killed The Keystone XL Pipeline -The War in Ukraine Hits American Gas Prices
Read more »
TikTok's CEO Has a Message for Congress: America Needs This AppTikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday. He'll echo a new PR strategy that's emerged for the company in recent months, that banning TikTok is censorship, and American jobs depend on the app.
Read more »
Dem congressman shreds Biden admin for green energy hypocrisy: 'Pisses me off'A Democratic congressman criticized the Biden administration for unfairly treating lobstermen in his state through cumbersome eco regulations compared to green energy companies.
Read more »