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☆ After growing a TikTok following, House Democrat leads push against a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On Wednesday, Bowman will host a news conference with more than 30 TikTok creators whose platforms are threatened by the U.S. government's push toward greater restrictions on the app. TikTok last week said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. threatened a broader ban of the app if ByteDance wouldn't sell its stake. The interagency group is reviewing potential national security risks stemming from ByteDance's 2017 acquisition of TikTok precursor Musical.ly. That lack of familiarity with the app may be part of what's driven lawmakers toward a ban, Bowman said. Simon's pitch to her boss was to show him just how many young users are on TikTok, especially over other platforms.

Courts blocked a prior bid by the Trump administration to ban the app in part on the grounds that such a move violated free speech protections. Courts struck down former President Donald Trump's bid to block TikTok in 2020 with an executive order that granted the Commerce Department similar authorities as the RESTRICT act. But the bill will likely provide no immediate solutions for those calling for a ban on the app. Some experts said using the new legal tools to ban TikTok could still invite First Amendment challenges. "And there will most likely be a legal challenge if its used to ban TikTok."

☆ How TikTok’s CEO prepared for his first grilling on Capitol Hill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Shou Zi Chew is getting ready for his inaugural trip to Congress. In prep sessions, which have taken place in Washington, D.C. ahead of the high-stakes hearing, TikTok personnel have worked to sharpen and polish Chew’s presentation. The Biden administration demanded earlier this month that the company’s Chinese owners divest from the company or be exiled from the country. The app has raised bipartisan national security concerns and growing worries that its sophisticated algorithm poses a danger to young people. “Americans deserve to know the extent to which their privacy is jeopardized and their data is manipulated by ByteDance-owned TikTok’s relationship with China,” McMorris Rodgers said.

☆ TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew to Face Skeptical Lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( John D. Mckinnon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Alyssa Schukar for The Wall Street JournalTikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before lawmakers this week. WASHINGTON—TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew can expect a chilly reception when he testifies before the powerful House Energy and Commerce committee this week, Republican aides said Monday. Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R., Wash.) and other lawmakers plan to lay out the threat posed by TikTok to Americans’ national security and privacy, and particularly its potential to harm children, aides said.

☆ TikTok CEO says company at 'pivotal moment' as some U.S. lawmakers seek ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Chinese-owned short video app TikTok faces a "pivotal moment" as a growing number of U.S. lawmakers seek to ban the popular app over national security concerns, CEO Shou Zi Chew said. On Wednesday, TikTok creators and New York Representative Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat, will hold a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol to oppose a TikTok ban. Bowman described the push to ban TikTok as "fear mongering" in an interview with Reuters. On Friday, six more U.S. senators backed bipartisan legislation to give Biden new powers to ban TikTok. On March 1, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted along party lines to give President Joe Biden new powers to ban TikTok.

☆ TikTok CEO appeals to U.S. users ahead of House testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appealed directly to the app's users ahead of what's expected to be a heated grilling in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee this week, in a video posted to the platform Tuesday. Filming from Washington, D.C., Chew emphasized the large scale of TikTok users, small and medium-sized businesses and its own employees based in the U.S. that rely on the company. But many lawmakers and intelligence officials seem to remain unconvinced that the information can be safe while TikTok is owned by a Chinese company. That number includes 5 million businesses that use the app to reach their customers, with most of those being small or medium-sized businesses. Chew then appealed to users directly to share in the comments what they want their representatives to know about why they love TikTok.

☆ TikTok says it has 150 million US users amid renewed calls for a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —TikTok now has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, CEO Shou Chew confirmed on Tuesday, in a clear attempt to highlight the platform’s vast and growing reach in the country amid renewed calls for a ban. “That’s almost half the US coming to TikTok to connect, to create, to share, to learn, or just to have some fun,” Chew said in a TikTok video on Tuesday. The figure also includes about five million businesses that use TikTok to reach customers, Chew said. TikTok acknowledged to CNN last week week that federal officials are demanding the app’s Chinese owners sell their stake in the social media platform, or risk facing a US ban of the app. In 2020, when the Trump administration made a similar threat, TikTok said it had 100 million US users.

☆ Benefits of US political accord accrue to TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, March 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - TikTok has one incentive to keep American politicians united. As Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew goes in front of Congress this week, he might remember that benefits can accrue to him if representatives remain cooperative. TikTok will be working to persuade American politicians that citizens’ data is protected, but in reality it will be difficult for the country to ban the app outright. So in some ways, political cohesion is good for TikTok. TikTok may not want to cause trouble in Washington, but it benefits so long as Democrats and Republicans agree.

☆ Rep. Jamaal Bowman says the push to ban TikTok is 'xenophobic' and 'part of another Red Scare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But Rep. Jamaal Bowman — among the most prolific TikTokers in Congress — is pushing back. And amid growing bipartisan calls in Washington for a nationwide ban on the popular video-sharing app, he's decided to speak up. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers increasingly speak of TikTok as a potential vector for malign influence from the Chinese Communist Party. "Me being against a ban of TikTok is not about thinking TikTok is the greatest thing ever, and that there aren't regulations and reforms needed." The Biden administration, meanwhile, is threatening to ban TikTok if ByteDance doesn't sell its stake in the company.

☆ TikTok to tell Congress it has 150 million monthly active U.S. users
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - TikTok said on Monday the short-video sharing app now has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from 100 million it said it had in 2020. The Chinese-owned app confirmed the figure ahead of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's testimony Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The app is facing growing pressure from the Biden administration and lawmakers including calls by many in Congress to ban the app who fear its U.S. user data could be passed on to China's government. Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TikTok hits 150 mln U.S. monthly users, up from 100 million in 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - TikTok said on Monday the short-video sharing app now has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from 100 million it said it had in 2020. On Friday, six more U.S. senators backed bipartisan legislation to give President Joe Biden new powers to ban TikTok on national security grounds. Last week, TikTok said the Biden administration demanded that its Chinese owners divest their stake in the app or it could face a U.S. ban. "This notional idea that the data can be made safe under (Chinese Communist Party) law, just doesn't, doesn't pass the smell test." Some TikTok content creators will come to Washington this week to make the case why the app should not be banned.

The announcement comes after TikTok said this week the Biden administration demand its Chinese owners divest their stake in the company or it could face a potential U.S. ban. Biden's predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, had tried to ban TikTok in 2020 but was blocked by U.S. courts. Separately, a source confirmed to Reuters Friday the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation after ByteDance said in December some employees improperly accessed U.S. TikTok user data of two journalists. TikTok said content creators will come to Washington next week to make the case why the app should not be banned. "Lawmakers in Washington debating TikTok should hear firsthand from people whose lives would be directly affected by their decisions," TikTok said Friday.

☆ GM CEO meets with senators on self-driving cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle, a Honda and General Motors self-driving car partnership, is seen during its unveiling in San Francisco, California, U.S. January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File PhotoWASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N) CEO Mary Barra met with two key senators on Thursday as the Detroit automaker pushes for legislation to speed deployment of self-driving vehicles on U.S. roads. He added that Barra discussed with the lawmakers "the future of mobility -- including autonomous vehicles." GM wants to deploy its Origin vehicle, which has subway-like doors and no steering wheels. NHTSA said it received notices of incidents in which self-driving Cruise vehicles "may engage in inappropriately hard braking or become immobilized."

☆ EPA tells states not to block hazardous waste shipments from Ohio derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday he was notifying states they cannot block shipments of hazardous waste from a Feb. 3 Ohio train derailment to licensed disposal sites. A Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) operated train in East Palestine, Ohio derailed carrying hazardous materials. EPA Administrator Michael Regan said "any attempts to impede interstate shipments of hazardous waste threatens the integrity of the system." "EPA will take all actions to ensure the safe hazardous waste handing continues across this country," he told reporters. On Tuesday, the state of Ohio sued Norfolk Southern over the derailment that released over a million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants.

☆ U.S. lawmaker wants TikTok CEO to detail actions to protect kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

McMorris Rodgers and other Republicans in December wrote TikTok saying said "many children are exposed to non-stop offerings of inappropriate content that TikTok’s algorithm force-feeds to them." They also raised concerns that TikTok livestreamed events allow adult TikTok users to offer monetary rewards to "persuade children to perform sexually suggestive acts." TikTok and the Biden administration have been negotiating for more than two years on data security requirements. TikTok said it has spent more than $1.5 billion on rigorous data security efforts and rejects spying allegations. The Biden administration demand for divestiture was the most dramatic in a series of recent steps by U.S. officials and legislators.

☆ Biden administration demands TikTok’s Chinese owners spin off their share or face US ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok from the United States unless the app’s Chinese owners agree to spin off their share of the social media platform, TikTok acknowledged Wednesday evening. “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said in a statement. But so far, there has been no evidence that the Chinese government has actually accessed TikTok user data, and no government has enacted a broader ban targeting TikTok on personal devices. TikTok has sought to address policymakers’ concerns with voluntary technical and bureaucratic safeguards that it says will help ensure US user data may only be accessed by US employees. Part of that initiative, which the company calls Project Texas, involves storing personal data with the US cloud giant Oracle.

☆ USDOT defends 'fully qualified' Biden aviation nominee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - The Biden administration told Congress on Thursday its pick to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is fully qualified and does not violate a law requiring civilian leadership. Republicans question whether Denver International Airport Chief Executive Officer Phil Washington has the required aviation experience needed to serve as top U.S. aviation regulator. Cruz said on Wednesday that Washington was "unable to answer basic safety questions about the 737 MAX crashes, aircraft certification, and how a pilot might react when a system malfunctions." "Surveying the leadership of the aviation field supports this fact overwhelmingly. Washington this week won backing of three former FAA administrators and the chief executive of Frontier Airlines (ULCC.O).

☆ Biden budget would cap monthly insulin prices at $35 for people with private insurance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

President Joe Biden's federal budget proposal would cap insulin prices at $35 per month for people with private insurance plans. Biden called on Congress in his State of the Union speech to finish the job and cap insulin at $35 a month for everybody. Drugmaker Eli Lilly got ahead of a potential federal mandate, announcing earlier this month that it would cap insulin at $35 per month for people with private insurance at certain retail pharmacies. About 40% of people with diabetes have private insurance while 5% are not insured, according to the American Diabetes Association. Some Republicans in Congress oppose to the move to cap insulin prices.

☆ U.S. aviation regulator boosting safety staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday the agency plans add nearly 300 employees to its safety office as it ramps up oversight following two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes. Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen told the Senate Commerce Committee the aviation safety office, which currently has 7,489 employees, plans to have 7,775 by the end of September. The committee is holding a hearing on FAA safety reforms directed by Congress in 2020 after the 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden pick for FCC withdraws, says agency will 'remain sidelined'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sohn had been a senior aide to Tom Wheeler when he was the FCC chair under President Barack Obama. The open internet laws seek to bar internet service providers from blocking or slowing traffic or offering paid fast lanes. "The FCC deadlock, now over two years long, will remain so for a long time," Sohn said in a statement. Many Democrats said Republicans were doing the bidding of powerful telecom companies that did not want to face regulation from the FCC. In July 2021, Biden signed an executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate the open internet net neutrality rules.

☆ Biden U.S. FCC pick in jeopardy after Democrat Manchin opposes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) speaks to reporters following the weekly Democratic caucus luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 29, 2022. Senator Joe Manchin said on Tuesday he will vote against confirming Gigi Sohn as a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), potentially imperiling her nomination by President Joe Biden. The open internet laws seek to bar internet service providers from blocking or slowing traffic or offering paid fast lanes. In July 2021, Biden signed an executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate the open internet net neutrality rules. Reporting by David Shepardson and Katharine Jackson; writing by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The six countries included in the bill are China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba, Warner said. "This competition with China around who dominates technology domains, that really is where the nexus of national security lies going forward," Warner said. Warner said the bill is not solely meant to address TikTok, and rather should create a "systemic approach" that prevents the need for one-off actions. "A 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. We hope that Congress will explore solutions to their national security concerns that won't have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans."

Gigi Sohn testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing, examining her nomination to be appointed Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C., February 9, 2022. Gigi Sohn, who was chosen by President Joe Biden to serve as telecommunications regulator to the Federal Communications Commission, said on Tuesday that she's withdrawing her nomination. After multiple hearings in the Senate Commerce Committee, it was still unclear if Sohn would have the votes for her nomination to pass the full Senate. During a 16-month battle with cable and media industry lobbyists, Sohn said she's been subject to "unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attacks" that have taken "an enormous toll" on her family. "And with the help of their friends in the Senate, the powerful cable and media companies have done just that."

☆ U.S. FAA, NTSB probe new airline runway incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating a string of recent runway incursions that have attracted national attention. The FAA said the American Airlines flight crew discontinued the landing after the controller advised that the Air Canada aircraft was departing. The aircraft were about 3,100 feet (945 meters) apart when the American Airlines jet began its climb-out, the FAA said. The FAA will hold a March 15 safety summit and is forming a team of experts to review airline safety after several recent near-miss incidents. The FedEx plane had been set to land on a runway on which a Southwest Airlines jet was also cleared to depart.

☆ US Senate panel to hold March 8 hearing on FAA reform efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday said it would hold a March 8 hearing on efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reform how it certifies new airplanes after two Boeing 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people. Congress in 2020 passed sweeping reforms to address FAA certification efforts after the fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 raised safety questions about the agency's airplane certification program. The FAA in January named a panel to review Boeing’s safety management processes and how they influence the company's safety culture. The FAA in September finalized a policy to protect aviation employees who perform government certification duties from interference by Boeing and others. The FAA continues to subject Boeing to enhanced oversight, inspecting all new Boeing 737 MAXs and 787s before they can be delivered.

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