In a world increasingly shaped by technological platforms, TikTok, the wildly popular social media app, stands at the center of a growing maelstrom of national security concerns. Jessica Rosenworcel, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has articulated a strong stance that if legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest the app or face a U.S. ban lands on the President’s desk, it should be signed without hesitation. The assertion underscores the unease and the measures being considered to mitigate perceived threats posed by the app’s foreign ownership.
“We don’t have authority over apps like TikTok,” Rosenworcel stated, highlighting a glaring gap in U.S. regulations that otherwise have been traditionally stringent regarding foreign ownership in old media. The shock is not lost on her, as she finds it “stunning” that while foreign entities are barred from owning U.S. broadcast television stations, similar oversight is non-existent for new media such as TikTok.
On the home front, domestic critics and advocates for free speech have voiced apprehensions about the implications of banning social media platforms. Nevertheless, the bill found substantial support in the House, with President Biden indicating his readiness to sign it into law should it navigate the legislative labyrinth successfully.
“Media is powerful and we want to be thoughtful of who invests in it in our country,” she said.The first woman to lead the influential commission also discussed an upcoming vote on reinstating net neutrality rules, online privacy, and her advocacy for a new “cyber trust mark” for connected devices in households— so “If you want to go buy a baby monitor, you can know that it adheres to some basic standards and it is safe.”
The commission will vote on April 25 to reinstate the net neutrality rules that were repealed by Rosenworcel’s predecessor, Agit Pai. These rules aim to prevent internet providers from blocking or slowing down consumer access to websites or services, establishing fast lanes, or censoring content. Essentially, net neutrality classifies internet providers as common carriers, similar to the regulatory classification of landline phone service. She considers reinstating these rules crucial.
“Four years ago, we were told to go home, hunker down, and live life online. And I think, as we’ve emerged from the pandemic, one thing is really clear — broadband is an essential service. And yet the last administration decided that the nation’s communications authority, the FCC, shouldn’t have oversight of broadband. They took away our authority. They took away net neutrality rules that say you can do what you want online and your broadband provider can’t make choices for you, can’t block websites, can’t slow services or censor content,”Rosenworcel stated.
Relevant articles:
– FCC Chair Backs Bill Forcing TikTok Parent To Divest App Or Face U.S. Ban – If Legislation “Makes It To The President’s Desk, He Should Absolutely Sign It”
– China accuses U.S. of ‘bullying’ after House passes bill that could ban TikTok, AOL, Sat, 13 Apr 2024 15:16:48 GMT
– An OpenAI investor says TikTok is China’s ‘programmable fentanyl,’ a CCP-controlled tool used to manipulate US citizens, Yahoo Singapore News, Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:30:00 GMT
– Could Rep. Mike Gallagher’s Proposed Bill Against TikTok Pose a Conflict of Interest with His New Employer, Palantir?, Globe Echo, Thu, 11 Apr 2024 21:52:00 GMT