The Biden administration is shifting its focus on TikTok | CNN Business

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The White House’s approval of a bill that would give the Biden administration new powers to restrict or ban TikTok in the United States marks a significant shift in the White House’s approach to the proprietary social media app chinese

It’s also a move the White House has been actively mulling for several weeks as it works with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to draft the legislation, Democratic and Republican aides said.

A dozen US senators introduced legislation on Tuesday called the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats to Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act. The bill does not specifically target TikTok for a ban. But it seeks to give the US government new powers, including a ban, against foreign-linked electronics or software producers the Commerce Department deems a national security risk.

The bill was drafted in close consultation with the White House National Security Council, as well as the Commerce, Treasury and Justice departments, according to aides familiar with the process.

The National Security Council and the Justice Department proposed specific changes to the text of the legislation, some of which were adopted, according to a Democratic aide and a Republican.

The White House’s involvement in crafting the bill marked a turnaround, after more than two years in which the administration’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, has tried to broker a deal with TikTok to address US national security concerns. Chinese ownership of the popular social media app.

These talks have not yet reached an agreement. And the new legislation could give the White House significant new leverage in those talks or simply empower the administration to resolve the situation unilaterally.

The White House’s swift approval of the bill came in the form of a statement from National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who said it will empower the administration “to prevent certain foreign governments from exploiting technology services that operate in the United States in ways that pose risks to Americans’ sensitive data and our national security.”

The White House’s involvement in crafting the legislation and its approval of the bill comes amid mounting pressure on Capitol Hill to take a more aggressive stance, including a bill by Sen. Marco Rubio that would completely ban TikTok.

A Democratic aide said the White House recognized the need for congressional action and decided to support the approach by Democratic Sen. Mark Warner and Republican Sen. John Thune, which would empower the administration without requiring that prohibit the application.

“We appreciate that some members of Congress are willing to explore options to address national security issues that do not have the effect of censoring millions of Americans,” TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement about the legislation. “A US ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values ​​to the more than one billion people who use our service around the world.”

– CNN’s Brian Fung contributed to this report.