US lawmakers target TikTok and other tech companies in new bill

US lawmakers are once again targeting TikTok, with actions aimed at banning its use. In this way, the government aims to address national security problems related to the technology of foreign entities.

The US government has once again targeted TikTok by banning the app, along with other Chinese tech companies. The decisions were made by issuing a new bill called the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act.

This bill aims to provide more comprehensive regulation for "foreign threats" in technology and prevent the collection of sensitive personal data of more than one million US citizens by foreign entities.

The RESTRICT Act is a bipartisan effort led by Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, a Democrat, and co-sponsored by Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat of Colorado.

TikTok banned, but not only

The bill summary lists TikTok, along with Kaspersky antivirus software, Huawei-supplied telecommunications equipment, Tencent's WeChat, and Alibaba's Alipay, as foreign entities that have raised serious concerns over a lack of consistent policies to identify the threats posed. from foreign communications and information technology products.

The bill will authorize US government agencies to block technology deemed to pose an "undue or unacceptable risk" to national security.

This includes "apps already on our phones, important parts of the internet infrastructure, and software that underpins critical infrastructure."

Additionally, the bill identifies countries such as China, Cuba, Iran, Korea, Russia and Venezuela as sources of threats. The countries are all “committed to a long-term pattern of, or engaged in serious instances of conduct significantly contrary to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of the people of the United States.”

TikTok banned, history repeats itself

In December 2020, the US Senate passed a bill that would ban TikTok from government devices in agencies like the White House, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department.

The bill was later folded into a broader spending bill President Biden signed into law in December, prompting the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to issue a 30-day deadline to remove TikTok from phones issued by the government, ban future installations, and prevent Internet traffic to the app.

However, unlike the previous bill, the RESTRICT Act goes beyond just banning TikTok, and aims to regulate a wider range of foreign technology.

RESTRICT Act is not the only one

In the House, GOP lawmakers are pushing the Deterring America's Technological Adversaries (DATA) Act, which would allow President Biden to ban TikTok and other apps from Chinese companies.

The bill was approved last week by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on party lines.

It's clear the US government is taking a hard line against Chinese tech companies like TikTok, citing national security concerns.

Bottom line

The RESTRICT Act is the latest effort by US lawmakers to address national security concerns posed by technology from foreign entities, including popular apps like TikTok.

While the bill doesn't directly mention the social media platform, it is lumped together with other Chinese companies that have raised concerns about their handling of sensitive personal data.

The RESTRICT Act marks a significant development in the ongoing debate about TikTok's role in US national security. It remains to be seen how its provisions will be implemented in the coming months.

Ercole Palmeri