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☆ RESTRICT Act explained: proposed TikTok ban is 'a PATRIOT Act for the digital age,' some lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The RESTRICT Act, a bill that could ban TikTok nationwide, was introduced in the Senate last month. GOP Senator JD Vance of Ohio called the bill proposal "a PATRIOT Act for the digital age." But the RESTRICT Act — touted as a way ban TikTok nationwide — would do far more than prevent users from accessing an app known for its viral dance routines and conspiracy theory videos. "This will directly improve our national security as well as safeguard Americans' personal information and our nation's vital intellectual property." Even those who support a TikTok ban, such as Senator JD Vance of Ohio, don't see the RESTRICT Act as an appropriate solution.

☆ America's best bet for banning TikTok would have terrible side effects
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

As talk of a TikTok ban builds, the leading legislation with bipartisan support is the RESTRICT Act. Here's why the RESTRICT Act has some people so worried — and what the experts say might be a better approach. The type of data TikTok collects is similar to what Facebook or Twitter collect from its users. What would actually solve the concerns about the Chinese government getting US user data is comprehensive data privacy legislation, he and other experts said. "What we're saying is that if you're concerned about the Chinese government getting user data from TikTok," Greene said.

☆ Classified documents mishandled by Trump, Biden, and Pence handed over to Congressional 'Gang of Eight'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Classified documents were found in the possession of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, and former Vice President Mike Pence in the past six months. A group of lawmakers known as the "Gang of Eight" have been asking for access to the docs. That process recently got underway, said the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private interactions between the Justice Department and Congress. Another special counsel, Robert Hur, is also investigating the improper retention of documents from Biden's time as vice president that have been located in his Delaware home and his pre-presidential think-tank office. The Justice Department had said that it wanted to be cooperative with the lawmakers' demands within the confines of the ongoing investigations.

☆ US senators defend push to give Biden new tools to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The White House and 26 senators support the Restrict Act that would apply to foreign technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. Critics say the bill is overbroad and hurts civil liberties of Americans including the more than 150 million U.S. TikTok users. The senators denied targeting individual users or people using a virtual private network to access TikTok. Last week, Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked a bid to fast-track a separate bill to ban TikTok introduced by Senator Josh Hawley, who said the Restrict Act "doesn’t ban TikTok. Then President Donald Trump's attempts in 2020 to ban TikTok were blocked by U.S. courts.

The lobbying comes amid a sustained effort by TikTok to play down fears raised by lawmakers who want to ban the app, which has 150 million monthly active users in the U.S. She defended the work of TikTok's team in Washington and said the company is trying to address lawmakers' privacy and safety concerns. At the furthest end of the extreme is the legislation from Hawley and Buck that simply seeks to ban TikTok outright by directing the president to block transactions with ByteDance. Hawley has not eased his campaign to ban TikTok. But after, "our phones were ringing off the hook," with the majority of callers voicing opposition to a TikTok ban.

☆ Republicans are starting to split over exactly how — and whether — to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Republicans generally support banning TikTok, but they're beginning to disagree on how. Sen. Rand Paul has also come out against a TikTok ban, blocking a bill from Sen. Josh Hawley. But even among Republicans who favor a TikTok ban, there are growing concerns about the RESTRICT Act — arguably the most prominent proposal put forward to deal with the issue. "So, I think we should ban TikTok. "It's worse than banning TikTok, because it can be applied to lots of other companies," said Paul.

☆ Republican Senator Rand Paul blocks bid to ban Chinese-owned TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul on Wednesday blocked a bid to fast-track a ban of popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, which more than 150 million Americans use, citing concerns about free speech and uneven treatment of social media companies. Republican Senator Josh Hawley had sought unanimous consent for a TikTok ban bill. We're going to be just like China and ban speech we're afraid of?" Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a TikTok video on Friday opposed a TikTok ban, calling it "unprecedented" and said Congress has not gotten classified TikTok briefings. Then President Donald Trump's attempts in 2020 to ban TikTok were blocked by U.S. courts.

☆ Republican Senator Rand Paul opposes TikTok ban push in Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - Republican Senator Rand Paul on Wednesday opposed efforts in Congress to ban popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, which is used by more than 150 million Americans. Republican Senator Josh Hawley said this week he hoped to get unanimous consent for a TikTok ban bill. TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew appeared before Congress last week and faced tough questions about national security concerns over the ByteDance-owned app. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a TikTok video Friday opposed a TikTok ban, calling it "unprecedented" and said Congress has not gotten classified TikTok briefings. Last week, three Democrats in the House of Representatives opposed a TikTok ban, as do free speech groups like the American Civil Liberties Union.

☆ Top Democrat gives 'failing grade' to Biden administration on classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ginger Gibson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, chided the Biden administration Wednesday for the lack of information being shared about classified documents that were found at the homes of current and former presidents. "This is where the Biden administration gets an absolute failing grade," Warner said on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Lawmakers have become increasingly critical of administration officials ignoring requests to be briefed on the classified documents that have been found. Hundreds of pages of documents with classified markings were recovered from Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump's Florida home and private club. Months later, a handful of documents were found at an office used by current President Joe Biden before he was elected.

☆ US lawmaker says FBI briefed him on Trump's rhetoric over New York probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Senator Mark Warner said on Sunday he was briefed by the FBI on Donald Trump's rhetoric after the former president verbally lashed out at a New York prosecutor overseeing a grand jury investigation into alleged hush-money payments. "They have seen no specific threats but the level of rhetoric on some of these right-wing sites has increased." Trump's lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, said on Sunday that some of Trump's online attacks against Bragg were ill-advised. "I'm not his social media consultant. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also said on Sunday the city was prepared for any fallout from a potential Trump indictment.

☆ A GOP congresswoman says TikTok CEO's testimony made it clear to her that the app is 'an immediate threat' from China and that she supports a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers called TikTok "an immediate threat" and wants it banned in the US. McMorris Rodgers said she's deeply concerned about the user data of millions of US TikTok users. "I would say there's an immediate threat via TikTok from the Chinese Communist Party. "What the hearing made clear to me was that TikTok should be banned in the United States of America to address the immediate threat and we also need a national data privacy law," she added. McMorris Rodgers pointed to Tiktok and parent company ByteDance as having ties to the Chinese government, which she said is a major risk to Americans.

☆ McCarthy expects US House will pass legislation to address TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy thinks lawmakers will pass bipartisan legislation to address national security worries about Chinese-owned short video app TikTok, he said on Friday, and called the testimony of the company's CEO "very concerning." There are growing calls to ban TikTok or to pass bipartisan legislation to give the Biden administration legal authority to seek a ban. Former U.S. President Donald Trump lost a series of court rulings in 2020 when he sought to ban TikTok and another Chinese-owned app, WeChat, a unit of Tencent (0700.HK). At Thursday's House hearing, Representative Neal Dunn asked Chew if ByteDance has spied on Americans at Beijing's request. "There are real national security concerns with respect to TikTok," said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday, citing privacy and consumer protection issues.

☆ TikTok congressional hearing: CEO Shou Chew grilled by US lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, was repeatedly hammered in the ongoing hearing where no lawmaker offered any support. PARENTS UNHAPPYRepresentative Diana DeGette, a Democrat, said TikTok's efforts to prevent the spread of misinformation on the platform were not working. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein 1 2 3 4 5"You gave me only generalized statements that you're investing, that you're concerned, that you're doing work. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives on Twitter said, "TikTok CEO testimony so far we would characterize as a 'mini disaster' for this key moment for TikTok. TikTok is now poster child of the US/China tensions and lawmakers have a lot of q’s with not enough concrete answers."

☆ TikTok CEO faces tough questions from Congress about Chinese influence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CEO Shou Zi Chew's testimony before Congress capped a week of actions by the Chinese company aimed at convincing Americans and their lawmakers that the app creates economic value and supports free speech. The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee hearing will be chaired by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican who said she is unconvinced by TikTok's security commitments. Some political experts say a TikTok ban could be damaging to Democrats who have used the platform to reach younger voters. Three House Democrats rallied with TikTok creators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in opposition to a ban. TikTok last week said President Joe Biden's administration demanded its Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a potential ban.

☆ TikTok CEO to face tough questions amid calls for U.S. ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee hearing will be chaired by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican who says she is unconvinced by TikTok's security commitments. "It's clear that TikTok will say anything to ... ensure that it is not banned in the United States," she told Fox News. Some political experts say a TikTok ban could be damaging to Democrats who have used the platform to reach younger voters. Three House Democrats rallied with TikTok creators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in opposition to a ban. TikTok last week said President Joe Biden's administration demanded its Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a potential ban.

☆ TikTok CEO to face tough questions as support for U.S. ban grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee hearing will be chaired by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican who says she is unconvinced by TikTok's security commitments. Some political experts say a TikTok ban could be damaging to Democrats who have used the platform to reach younger voters. Three House Democrats rallied with TikTok creators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in opposition to a ban. Last week, TikTok said President Joe Biden's administration demanded its Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a potential ban. Democratic Senator Mark Warner said on Wednesday two additional senators backed his bipartisan legislation with Republican John Thune to give the Biden administration new powers to ban TikTok - raising the total to 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans.

☆ TikTok creators, some U.S. Democratic lawmakers oppose ban on app
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] TikTok creators hold a news conference to speak out against a possible ban of TikTok at the House Triangle at the United States Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - TikTok creators and three U.S. Democratic Party lawmakers on Wednesday said they opposed any potential ban on the Chinese-owned short video sharing app that is used by more than 150 million Americans. Critics fear that TikTok user data in the United States could be passed on to China's government. Pocan said a "xenophobic witch hunt" is motivating some in Congress to seek a TikTok ban. Democratic Senator Mark Warner said two additional senators backed his bipartisan legislation with Republican John Thune to give the Biden administration new powers to ban TikTok.

☆ Here's why TikTok CEO's testimony in Capitol Hill will have little credibility: Sen. Warner
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's why TikTok CEO's testimony in Capitol Hill will have little credibility: Sen. WarnerSen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the future of TikTok in the United States, whether TikTok should divest its U.S. business and more.

☆ The TikTok CEO's day in Congress was a 'disaster' that means the app will still likely get banned or sold, Wall Street says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in front of US Congress, amid calls for a forced sale or ban. But after hours of grilling, the testimony likely had the opposite effect. A sale or ban of TikTok is still likelyWithout a radical shift in the conversation, the status quo is upheld. Which means that the same question is now being asked: Is TikTok more likely to be forced to sell, or will it be banned outright? "It's very possible that Congress advances these bills and, and passes them, but those bills won't ban TikTok," he said.

☆ TikTok's ad business is growing around live sports as platform faces possible U.S. ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The social media platform has been under scrutiny from the U.S. government and faces a possible ban. But the company is nonetheless attracting billions of dollars in advertising revenue as major companies look to reach a younger audience. Hyundai prioritized TikTok this year as many automakers bypassed TV advertising during the Super Bowl to preserve cash or spend on ads elsewhere. TV ads drew more than $7 million for 30-second spots during this year's Super Bowl on Fox's broadcast network. While this makes up about 2% of overall digital advertising spending, the growth of the spending for the platform has been rapid.

☆ The TikTok CEO's day in Congress was a 'disaster' that failed to prove a sale or ban isn't the only way forward, Wall Street says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in front of US Congress, amid calls for a forced sale or ban. But after hours of grilling, the testimony likely had the opposite effect. Thursday's hearing likely gave lawmakers even more fuel for the argument in favor of a sale or a ban. A sale or ban of TikTok is still likelyWithout a radical shift in the conversation, the status quo is upheld. "It's very possible that Congress advances these bills and, and passes them, but those bills won't ban TikTok," he said.

☆ The Fed's latest move confirms it's trying to thread the needle between cooling inflation and helping banks in turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday. It's the second interest rate increase this year. It comes on the heels of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, which prompted some calls to pause the rate hikes. "We expect 2023 to be a year of significant decline in inflation," Powell said in February. So while the committee is slowing interest rate hikes for now, they plan to continue increases this year.

☆ 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.

☆ Biden and Trump agree on at least one thing: Something has to be done about TikTok. But it's not that easy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

As the Biden administration pushes for a TikTok sale or ban, it's clear the idea has bipartisan support. We've been here before, when the Trump administration pushed TikTok to sell its US operations in much the same way. While the Biden administration's approach to TikTok has been slightly different, it's clear that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle support a TikTok ban. A bill to ban TikTok on federal devices passed in December with bipartisan support in Congress, and was then signed by President Biden. That's likely to happen on a wider scale if the Biden Administration pushed for an immediate ban, experts said.

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.

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