Image credit: Solen Feyissa/Getty Images
January 23, 2023
Congress, TikTok, and Securing Democracy in the Digital Age
In recent weeks, Congress has asserted itself in the TikTok debate by passing legislation that bans the app from federal government devices. Another bipartisan bill, known as the ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act, would go much further by completely prohibiting TikTok from operating in the United States. With these actions, Congress is taking on more responsibility in deciding the short-form video sharing service’s future. Given the potentially massive impact of whether the app is allowed to continue operating in the U.S., Congress’s engagement and action in this matter are welcome and necessary to help steer—at a critical moment—the direction of the still-evolving U.S. technology strategy toward China.
A review of TikTok would also allow Congress to ask questions about and signal positions on some deeply important yet not often debated questions stemming from the separation of America’s tech ecosystem from China’s.
Since late 2019, TikTok has been under a secretive national security investigation conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Known as CFIUS, the executive branch committee reviews the national security implications of foreign transactions with U.S. entities and recommends how to address those concerns to the president. For example, in December 2016, President Obama, acting on CFIUS’s recommendation, prohibited a Chinese-owned company’s purchase of a U.S. manufacturer of technology used in U.S. weapons systems.
Read the full article from Lawfare.
More from CNAS
-
China Has a Long Way to Go before It Indigenizes Semiconductor Production Capacity, Analyst Says
Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security joins CNBC to discuss semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and more. Watch the full interview from CNBC....
By Paul Scharre
-
“Ukraine vs. Russia: “This Is the Only Reason” for the Supply of Tanks”
Adjunct Senior Fellow Samuel Bendett discusses the significance of Tanks being sent to Ukraine with TBS News Dig.Watch the full interview from TBS NEWS DIG....
By Samuel Bendett
-
How ‘Killer Robots’ Can Help Us Learn from Mistakes Made in AI Policies
While recent events may have sparked a public outcry over the dangers of “killer robots,” we should not lose sight of the danger that poor processes create when deploying AI s...
By Michael Depp
-
Lynne Parker and David Danks on AI
Dr. Lynne Parker and Dr. David Danks join host Jeanne Meserve in a conversation on what AI is, how AI is being used in schools, the future of AI governance, and more.Listen to...
By Dr. Lynne Parker