Space Travel News
CYBER WARS
US Congress to take on TikTok ban bill -- again
US Congress to take on TikTok ban bill -- again
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) April 18, 2024

The US House of Representatives will again vote Saturday on a bill that would force TikTok to divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban.

The measure has been written into a massive $61 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which could ease its passage in both chambers of the US Congress.

Under the bill, ByteDance would have to sell the app within a few months or be excluded from Apple and Google's app stores in the United States.

It would also give the US president the authority to designate other applications as a threat to national security if they are controlled by a country deemed hostile.

TikTok slammed the bill, saying it would hurt the US economy and undermine free speech.

"It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill," a company spokesman said.

He added a ban would "trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the US economy annually."

Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging that it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and Beijing.

Joe Biden reiterated his concerns about TikTok during a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in early April.

The House of Representatives last month approved a similar bill cracking down on TikTok, but the measure got held up in the Senate.

TikTok stops working in Kyrgyzstan after ban proposals
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (AFP) April 18, 2024 - Kyrgyzstan appears to have blocked TikTok after the Central Asian country's security services called to restrict the social media app to "protect children".

When AFP journalists in the country tried to access TikTok on Thursday, a message read: "Unable to load, please try again."

Owned by Chinese group ByteDance, TikTok has faced a global backlash from politicians and regulators over issues ranging from the mental health effects of the app on children to the data it allegedly scoops up from users.

Kyrgyzstan's digital ministry said on Tuesday it had "informed telecommunications operators of the need to limit access to TikTok, based on a decision by the security services."

Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security, known as the GKNB, is a successor to the Soviet-era KGB secret police and headed by the powerful Kamchybek Tashiev.

The digital ministry said ByteDance had "failed to comply" with legal requirements outlined in a law to protect the "mental, physical, spiritual and moral development of children."

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed "concern" over the decision earlier this week.

"RSF calls on the government to lift this arbitrary blocking and define a clear legal framework to regulate platforms," the pressure group said in a post on X on Wednesday following local media reports that a ban was imminent.

Bishkek has been mounting an escalating campaign to bring independent media and civil society closer under state control.

Kyrgyzstan, which borders China and has close economic ties with Beijing, had previously been an outlier in Central Asia as a relatively free space for information, compared to its ultra-closed neighbours.

But in recent months authorities have arrested several journalists, suspended independent media outlets and passed a "foreign agents" law designed to silence dissenters.

TikTok is also in the spotlight over its data policies in the United States and European Union amid fears over connections to the Chinese state.

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CYBER WARS
Russian 'cyber sabotage' a global threat: security firm
San Francisco (AFP) April 17, 2024
A cyber group with links to Russian military intelligence is set to become a significant global threat after playing an increasing critical role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a leading cybersecurity firm warned Wednesday. Google-owned Mandiant said in a report that it is seeing nefarious operations by the group referred to as "Sandworm" in places around the world considered political, military, or economic hotspots for Russian interests. "We have observed the group sustain access and espio ... read more

CYBER WARS
CYBER WARS
NASA Mars helicopter sends last message to Earth

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter transitions to stationary role on Red Planet

Comet Geyser: Perseverance's 24th Rock Core

NASA Aims for Cost-Effective Mars Sample Return by 2030s

CYBER WARS
NASA Goddard to Build Quake Detector for Artemis III Moon Landing

Tiandu satellites enhance Earth-Moon communication with successful transmission tests

Lunar i-hab mockup completes acceptance review at Thales Alenia Space

China's Queqiao-2 satellite marks success in recent communication tests

CYBER WARS
Pluto's heart-shaped feature explained by international research team

Assessing the ages of moons from impact craters

NASA unveils probe bound for Jupiter's possibly life-sustaining moon

Juice mission successfully tests Callisto flyby simulation

CYBER WARS
Tracing life's origins: Cambridge team explores early Earth conditions

Desert soil microbes adapt to thrive in extreme dry conditions

New insights into Earth's carbon cycle offer clues for habitability of other planets

Exoplanets evaluated in new light

CYBER WARS
Sidus Space Joins Orbital Transports Partner Program to Broaden Market Presence

Constellation of Starlink satellites grows with latest SpaceX launch from Florida

Ariane 6 debut includes Portugal's first university CubeSat for aircraft tracking

SpaceX launches Falcon 9, carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Florida

CYBER WARS
China gears up for Shenzhou XVIII manned space mission

China finds use for space tech in extending food shelf life

Astronaut fitness regimes critical in Tiangong Space Station

Space Devices Ensure Health of Taikonauts Aboard Tiangong Space Station

CYBER WARS
Winchcombe meteorite's tumultuous space odyssey uncovered by nano-analysis

International Collaboration Boosts Planetary Defense Efforts with Hera Mission

New insights on the young ice deposits of Ceres

Climate warming endangers Antarctic meteorite collection

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.