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☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Lawmakers say TikTok is a national security threat, but evidence remains unclear
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

If there’s a risk, it’s primarily concentrated in the relationship between TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, and Beijing. TikTok has been erecting technical and organizational barriers that it says will keep US user data safe from unauthorized access. “Regarding privacy, we also did not see the TikTok app exhibiting any behaviors similar to malware.”Are there other security concerns? TikTok later confirmed the incident and ByteDance fired several employees who had improperly accessed the TikTok data of two journalists. “And governments around the world are ignoring their duty to protect citizens’ private information, allowing big tech companies to exploit user information for gain.

☆ 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 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.

CNN —Nearly two-and-a-half years after the Trump administration threatened to ban TikTok in the United States if it didn’t divest from its Chinese owners, the Biden administration is now doing the same. The new directive comes from the multiagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), following years of negotiations between TikTok and the government body. “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said in a statement. TikTok is really only a national security risk insofar as the Chinese government may have leverage over TikTok or its parent company. China has national security laws that require companies under its jurisdiction to cooperate with a broad range of security activities.

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.

☆ Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill Build an Anti-China Alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Georgia Wells | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Elizabeth Frantz for The Wall Street JournalJacob Helberg, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, is leading a group aimed at countering Chinese involvement in U.S. tech. A group of Silicon Valley executives, including investor Peter Thiel , and Washington lawmakers are quietly mobilizing against China’s involvement in the U.S. tech industry ahead of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew ’s Capitol Hill testimony next week. They plan to meet for a private dinner on Wednesday to discuss China, national security and the intensifying competition between the tech sectors of the U.S. and China. Mr. Chew is scheduled to testify the following day.

☆ TikTok's potential U.S. ban presents host of questions for app stores, internet companies and the government
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The TikTok logo is displayed outside TikTok social media app company offices in Culver City, California, on March 16, 2023. related investing news What a potential TikTok ban could mean for Club holding Meta Platforms It's not an issue yet, as there are still some ways a TikTok ban could be avoided or accessed legally in the U.S. Should the U.S. ban TikTok, the mechanics on what happens from there get murky. And the app stores controlled by Apple and Google are the primary places for consumers to download the TikTok app. Under Chinese law, companies can be required to hand over internal information to the government for supposed national security purposes.

☆ TikTok's CEO says demands from the Biden administration for its Chinese owners to sell up won't solve security fears in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration has demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their shares, or face a US-wide ban. But the app's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, says this wouldn't actually solve anything. Chew said that's because TikTok is proposing to spend billions on storing American users' data in the US by partnering with Oracle. That would also prevent any Chinese influence over which TikToks US users see, per the WSJ. "I do welcome feedback on what other risk we are talking about that is not addressed by this," Chew told the newspaper.

☆ Venture investors, U.S. lawmakers join forces to fight Tiktok & Chinese influence: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A star-studded array of Silicon Valley venture investors have joined forces with a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers as part of a working group that has one aim: Combatting China's influence in the U.S. technology industry, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The consortium is named the Hill & Valley Forum, the Journal reported, a nod to the group's bicoastal origins. The Forum will host a dinner ahead of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's Congressional testimony next week, with speakers including prominent venture capitalists Peter Thiel and Vinod Khosla, the Journal reported. Now, lawmakers, venture investors, and lobbyists are pushing for the government to ban or curtail the app's influence, citing a potent threat from the Chinese government. The ultimatum came weeks after lawmakers urged the Committee to complete its yearslong probe into TikTok.

☆ TikTok CEO’s Message to Washington: A Sale Won’t Solve Security Concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Stu Woo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—TikTok’s boss has a message for the Biden administration and Congress: A sale won’t resolve America’s national-security concerns over the popular video app. Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew said in an interview that divesting the company from its Chinese owners—a move the U.S. is now demanding—doesn’t offer any more protection than a multibillion-dollar plan TikTok has already proposed. The plan involves hiring an American partner, Oracle Corp., to store American users’ data and safeguard against any Chinese influence over what videos Americans view on the app.

☆ Banning TikTok would be an early Christmas gift to Mark Zuckerberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A TikTok sale or US ban could be a boon for Mark Zuckerberg and Meta. Instagram Reels could see a boost from a shift away from TikTok in the US, experts say. Zuckerberg has much to gain from a TikTok ban. It would be like Christmas coming early for Meta, which is looking to boost engagement of its rival service, Instagram Reels. In the short term, apps like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts could also see a boost.

☆ 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.

☆ A TikTok ban or forced sale could lead to major collateral damage for US tech companies like Apple and Chinese apps like Shein
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"A big Chinese balloon in the sky and millions of Chinese TikTok balloons on our phones. But US tech companies that rely on data collection for advertising sales or other business practices have fought to curb such regulations. Still, efforts by members of Congress to pass federal legislation around data privacy, such as the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, have faced an uphill battle. Apple's 2021 user privacy changes stunted ad revenue at Facebook and Snapchat-maker Snap, for example. But blocking companies from gathering private information from users could also be a more effective path to protecting Americans while maintaining an avenue for Chinese companies to participate in the global economy.

☆ The war against TikTok won't solve the 'national embarrassment' of how poorly the US protects your data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"A big Chinese balloon in the sky and millions of Chinese TikTok balloons on our phones. TikTok has hurt its own cause when it comes to its reputation around data privacy. For example, the company misrepresented how US user data was managed and then its parent company monitored the locations of reporters who exposed its practices. Still, efforts by members of Congress to pass federal legislation around data privacy, such as the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, have faced an uphill battle. Apple's 2021 user privacy changes stunted ad revenue at Facebook and Snapchat-maker Snap, for example.

☆ White House backs Senate bill to boost US ability to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The bill gives the Commerce Department the ability impose restrictions up to and including banning TikTok and other technologies that pose national security risks, said Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who chairs the Intelligence Committee. He said it would also apply to foreign technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. TikTok said in a statement that any "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." Warner said it was important the government do more to make clear what it believes are the national security risks to U.S. from the use of TikTok. McCaul said he thinks the full U.S. House of Representatives could vote on bill this month.

☆ Push to give Biden new powers to ban TikTok moves ahead in Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. A White House spokeswoman told Reuters the administration is "working with Congress" but declined to say if it would endorse the Senate legislation. Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted along party lines on a bill sponsored by Representative Michael McCaul to give Biden the power to ban TikTok after then President Donald Trump was stymied by courts in 2020 in his efforts to ban TikTok and WeChat. TikTok and CFIUS 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.

☆ TikTok data collection, influence operations potential draw U.S. NSA concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone on Tuesday expressed concern during congressional testimony about Chinese-owned video app TikTok's data collection and potential to facilitate broad influence operations. Asked by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville about any concerns he has about TikTok's influence on American children, Nakasone told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, "TikTok concerns me for a number of different reasons." Nakasone ended his comments by asserting that the TikTok platform could enable sweeping influence operations. The NSA, part of the Defense Department, is the agency responsible for U.S. cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for more than two years aiming to reach a national security agreement.

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."

☆ TikTok introduces new paywalled 20-minute video feature
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The New Economy Forum is being organized by Bloomberg Media Group, a division of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. The new feature, called Series, will allow select creators to share longer videos that will be available for purchase behind a paywall. Users have previously only been able to share 15-second, 1-minute, 3-minute or 10-minute videos on TikTok. The new feature will further heat up the competition with platforms like YouTube — which is known for its long-form videos. In August 2021, YouTube introduced YouTube Shorts as a direct alternative to TikTok.

☆ TikTok sets automatic one-hour screen time limit for teens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok said Wednesday it will implement an automatic 60-minute screen-time limit for all users under the age of 18. Teens will be able to opt out of the feature if they want, but TikTok said that the app will prompt teens to set a limit if they spend "more than 100 minutes on TikTok in a day." TikTok is taking steps to curb screen time for its younger users as it stares down growing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over its security and the safety of children on the platform. A study from the Pew Research Center last August found 67% of American teenagers used TikTok, with 16% of all teens saying they used it "constantly." TikTok parent ByteDance faces a probe from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, also known as CFIUS, over national security concerns.

☆ A growing group of lawmakers think TikTok is 'digital fentanyl' and want to ban it. Many others remain skeptical.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Some members of Congress have begun pushing to ban TikTok in the US. "I'm a little less enthusiastic about an all-out ban of it," said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. "I'm an incrementalist on a lot of things, and I would be on this as well," said Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on social media and the internet's impact on children. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, another committee member, said she's most concerned about how social media platforms are impacting kids.

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