TikTok Ban: US Senators Defend Biden’s Efforts

(CTN News) – Senators supporting the Biden administration’s proposal to ban TikTok, a Chinese short video app, rejected criticism on Thursday, arguing that it would address security concerns about many foreign-owned apps.

Senators Mark Warner, a Democrat, and John Thune, a Republican, proposed the Restrict Act last month, giving the Commerce Department new authority to examine, block, and address a range of transactions involving foreign information and communication technology that pose national security risks.

A Wall Street Journal essay by Warner and Thune argues that their bill modernizes the president’s international economic authority for the digital age, imposes significant restrictions on presidential authority, gives Congress the authority to reverse certain presidential decisions, and establishes a risk-based approach to dealing with foreign-adversary technology.

In support of the Restrict Act, which would apply to foreign technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba, there are 26 senators and the White House.

The law affects more than 150 million TikTok users, which has been criticized as too broad and threatening civil liberties.

As a result of the Restrict Act, the Republican House Financial Services Committee tweeted last week that the Commerce Department would become a dictator over trade, sanctions, investment, cryptocurrency, and other matters.

Senators denied targeting individual users or individuals who use a virtual private network to access TikTok.

As a result of a well-funded lobbying campaign, they claim Chinese lobbyists have misrepresented our bill in bad faith.

“It is not difficult to understand why this is the case: TikTok’s current operations in the United States can generate profits while protecting Americans from national security threats is not of great importance.”.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew addressed national security concerns over the app in a recent appearance before Congress.

According to the firm, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, it has invested more than $1.5 billion in rigorous data security measures.

A separate bill to ban TikTok was fast-tracked by Senator Rand Paul, who argued that the Restrict Act doesn’t ban TikTok. It gives the president a variety of new powers in the process.

A U.S. ban on TikTok could result from the Biden administration’s demand that TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their stakes. Attempts by President Donald Trump to ban TikTok were blocked by U.S. courts in 2020.

Last week, Democratic Representative Cori Bush said that Congress should pass comprehensive data privacy legislation rather than target one company for concerns that affect the entire industry.

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