Security News > 2023 > March > Dems, Repubs eye up ban on chat apps they don't like

On Tuesday a bipartisan group of a dozen US senators introduced a bill to authorize the Commerce Department to ban information and communications technology products and services deemed threats to national security.

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan issued a statement endorsing the legislation.

A year later, the CFIUS review was being described as an inquiry into TikTok, code which the Trump administration threatened to ban.

The Senate bill would ultimately allow the Commerce Secretary to ban entire communications platforms, which would have profound implications for our constitutional right to free speech.

"The Senate bill would ultimately allow the Commerce Secretary to ban entire communications platforms, which would have profound implications for our constitutional right to free speech."

Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the Chamber of Progress, a tech lobbying group, opined via Twitter that the White House's endorsement of the Senate bill signals that TikTok's "Project Texas" - a deal to shift the company's US data to Oracle Cloud servers in the US - is unlikely to meet CFIUS approval.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/03/09/us_chat_apps_ban/