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| Chinese apps can be blocked by order of Biden |
Reuters reported that President Joe Biden's executive order to protect sensitive US data requires some Chinese apps to take tougher measures to protect private information if they want to survive in the US market.
The goal is to prevent foreign adversaries such as China and Russia from obtaining large amounts of personal and private business information.
The US Department of Commerce may issue a notice to collect information about certain software applications on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.
The agency can then negotiate terms of use or ban the app in the US.
Biden's June 9 order supersedes former President Donald Trump's 2020 order on the popular Chinese Tencent apps WeChat and TikTok from Bytedance. The US court suspended this order.
US officials share many of the concerns Trump raised in his order to ban TikTok.
Notably, they are concerned that China could track the whereabouts of US government employees, create personal data files for extortion, and engage in industrial espionage.
While the new regulation does not name these companies, if challenged in court, it could penalize more Trump ban demands and be better able to persevere.
Reuters was the first to provide details of how the Biden administration intends to implement the order. This also includes seeking support from other countries.
A source said US officials have begun talks with allies to use similar tactics. They hope that partner countries can agree on which nominations should be withheld.
Biden faces Chinese applications:
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo (Gina Raimondo) decides which applications the United States will target, but they must meet certain criteria.
For example, it must be owned, controlled, or operated by individuals or organizations that support, control, or manage the military or intelligence activities of foreign opponents such as China or Russia.
A spokesperson for the Department of Commerce said that if Raimundo determines that the application contains an unacceptable risk, Raimundo has the right to inform all parties directly or publish the information in the official daily government bulletin.
The spokesman added: The company has 30 days to raise objections or propose measures to improve data protection.
This process dates back to a decree issued by Trump in May 2019 to review information and communication technologies for foreign dissidents.
As tensions rise between Washington and Beijing, Chinese filings could become targets for the Commerce Department. In addition to the ability of the Chinese government to control the number of Chinese apps used by companies and Americans.
Reuters said TikTok, WeChat and eight other apps targeted by the Trump administration in recent months are ready for review by Biden's team.
Trump's destinations also include Alipay, WeChat Pay, QQ Wallet, Tencent QQ, CamScanner, SHAREit, VMate, UCWeb and WPS Office.
Some apps have serious privacy issues. The regulation applies to commercial applications, including banking, telecommunications and consumer applications.
Suggestions regarding other adversaries such as Iran or Venezuela are prohibited by more comprehensive sanctions.