 Technology |
Technology |
|
|
Potential TikTok ban poised to pass in Senate vote |
The Senate is on track to pass a bill that could lead to a ban on the social media app TikTok that was tied to a broader foreign aid package of legislation. |
© Photo Illustration by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images |
The Senate voted 80-19 to limit debate on the package that includes a provision that would force TikTok's China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban from U.S. devices and networks.
The House-passed package also includes $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
The TikTok provision faced opposition in the Senate from both sides of the aisle, but its inclusion in the overall package means it is likely to be sent to the president's desk. A final vote could take place as early as Tuesday night.
President Biden is expected to sign the foreign aid package if it passes the Senate and in March, voiced support for the TikTok ban legislation when it was unveiled as the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
The bill included in the package amended the length of time ByteDance has to divest TikTok from roughly six months, as it was written when the House initially passed it in March, to up to a year. That extension eased concerns from some critics, including Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).
Cantwell and Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.), a vocal supporter of the bill, urged senators on the floor to support the bill Tuesday after the vote to end debate on the package.
Supporters of the bill say it is necessary in order to mitigate national security risks the app poses due to its China-based parent company. Lawmakers have received classified briefings about risks posed by TikTok.
But Warner also made a plea to the public, especially young people, who make up a strong base of TikTok's loyal supporters.
"Many Americans, particularly young Americans, are rightfully skeptical. At the end of the day, they've not seen what Congress has seen. They've not been in the classified briefings that Congress has been in," he said. Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Rebecca Klar and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. |
|
|
How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: |
|
|
The cyberattack on Change Healthcare in February targeted the data of “a substantial proportion of people in America,” UnitedHealth Group (UHG) said this week, with the company confirming it paid a ransom in an effort to protect patient information. “Based on initial targeted data sampling to date, the company has found files containing protected health information (PHI) or personally identifiable information … |
| |
| Social platform X is planning to roll out an application for users on smart TVs, the company’s chief executive said Tuesday. “Soon we'll bring real-time, engaging content to your smart TVs with the X TV App,” Linda Yaccarino, X’s CEO, wrote on the platform. “This will be your go-to companion for a high-quality, immersive entertainment experience on a larger screen.” The X app for smart TVs … |
| |
|
Google has fired more than 20 additional workers following last week's protests over the tech giant's cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, the group that organized the protests said Monday night. The latest firings bring the total number of terminated staff to more than 50, according to No Tech for Apartheid. "This evening, in an aggressive and desperate act of retaliation, Google fired over 20 additional … |
| |
|
The majority of Black voters in the United States oppose legislation that would ban the social media platform TikTok, new polling found. The poll, conducted by ClearPath Strategies, found that 51 percent of Black voters oppose a ban of the platform and 55 percent view TikTok favorably. The polling, which is not public, was provided to TikTok from ClearPath through an internal memo, which was obtained by The Hill. The poll also … |
| |
|
News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: |
|
|
Apple's smartphone sales dip in China |
Apple's smartphone sales dipped 19 percent in China in the first quarter of 2024, causing the iPhone maker to fall behind local rivals Vivo and Honor, The Wall Street Journal reported. |
|
|
Coca-Cola signs $1.1 billion deal with Microsoft |
Coca-Cola has signed a $1.1 billion deal with Microsoft to use the tech giant's cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) services, Reuters reported. |
|
|
Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will hold its first-quarter earnings call on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.
|
|
|
Branch out with other reads on The Hill: |
|
|
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused Australia of censorship after an Australian judge ruled that his social media platform X must block users worldwide from accessing video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded Tuesday by … |
|
|
Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
|
|
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is escalating her threat to remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from power, but she faces a steep climb if she … Read more |
| Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) announced Tuesday that he was suspending his independent House bid, just over a month after entering the race. "I … Read more |
|
|
You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 |
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment