A leading Senate Democrat is working on an alternative proposal to address the national security concerns associated with foreign-linked apps like TikTok. The proposal aims to provide Congress with more oversight regarding restrictions imposed on companies by the White House.
Senator Maria Cantwell, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, stated that the objective is to give the executive branch greater power in identifying and addressing perceived risks, while ensuring that Congress has the authority to regulate those actions.
According to Cantwell, the proposal aims to provide people with useful tools and establish parameters that enable oversight. She emphasized the need to strike a balance between empowering the White House and creating new oversight mechanisms.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been criticized by lawmakers due to concerns over data security. However, TikTok has proposed operational changes to address these concerns. Cantwell’s proposal would contribute to the ongoing congressional debate surrounding TikTok.
As Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Cantwell holds influence over a separate proposal known as the Restrict Act, which would grant the Commerce Department the authority to ban TikTok. While the White House supports this bipartisan bill, some House Republicans oppose it, arguing that it grants excessive power to the administration.
Cantwell expressed the view that the Restrict Act needs improvement and suggested that her approach would strike a better balance by empowering the White House while implementing effective oversight mechanisms. She introduced an initial version of the bill as an amendment to the Senate’s defense policy bill, but it is still under consideration.
A spokesperson for Senator Mark R. Warner, the lead sponsor of the Restrict Act, expressed openness to collaborating with Senator Cantwell on addressing threats from foreign-based technology.
Cantwell’s proposed amendment urges the White House to establish rules protecting sensitive populations from foreign adversaries and instructs the Commerce Department to assess and mitigate risks to the U.S. information and communications technology supply chain.
The measure put forward by Cantwell does not seek to directly ban TikTok but rather addresses broader national security risks without infringing upon the First Amendment.
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