U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., brought back his proposal for tougher standards and more restrictions on some foreign software and apps, including WeChat and TikTok thanks to their connections to the Chinese regime.
At the end of October, Rubio brought out the “Adversarial Platform Prevention (APP) Act” which “would establish a set of data protection and censorship related standards and restrictions that must be met by high-risk foreign software…in order to legally operate in the United States.” Rubio’s bill would have warning labels on those programs and apps and ensure there are annual public disclosures from the companies running them.
Rubio weighed in this week on why he reintroduced the bill.
“High-risk foreign apps and software, like Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat, pose a threat to personal privacy and U.S. national security,” Rubio said when he reintroduced the proposal. “It is clear that Congress must build upon the Trump administration’s efforts to address these threats by establishing a framework of standards that must be met before a high-risk, foreign-based app is allowed to operate on American telecommunications networks and devices. My APP Act does just that, and I hope my colleagues will join me in adopting a more expansive approach to protecting Americans’ user data and our security.”
The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
So far, Rubio has not reeled in any cosponsors. There is no companion measure in the U.S. House.
Reach Kevin Derby at [email protected].
