US Senator Tim Scott (R-South), likely Republican presidential candidate, during an election town hall meeting at the New Hampshire Institute of Political Science, St. Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA, May 8, 2023. Carolina) will speak.
Brian Snyderreuter
WASHINGTON — Senator Tim Scott (RS.C.) calls for greater transparency in social media applications amid privacy concerns over China-based apps like TikTok.
The Know Your App Act aims to raise consumer awareness of app ownership in stores such as: Google play and apple The App Store identifies the country or publisher for each application. The bill was introduced on Tuesday, days after Scott announced his candidacy for president.
Under the bill, the Treasury and Commerce Departments would create a list of hostile governments that could exercise undue control over application content moderation, algorithm design and data transfers, according to a statement released on Tuesday. It is compulsory to create. App stores will be charged a fee to warn users of the risks of downloading foreign applications and provide a way to filter by country of origin.
Representatives for Google and Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
The bill comes as lawmakers from both parties target apps developed or sponsored by Chinese companies.Four of the top five most popular apps in March were made in China, according to wall street journal. Less than a year old, e-commerce app Temu has been under scrutiny for malware concerns.
Although not in the top five for the month, China-based fast-fashion e-retailer Shein has been accused of forced labor.
Scott, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, told the U.S. “Sever” ties National security concerns prompted talks between TikTok, the third most popular app in March, and Beijing-based parent company ByteDance. ByteDance complies with China’s National Security Law, which allows government access to comprehensive business information under certain conditions.
“Americans should be able to make informed decisions about the online services they use to protect their data and security.” Scott said of the Know Your App Act: “Requiring app stores to indicate the country of origin of an app is a common sense solution that can help make that happen.”
Users of social media apps face increased security risks through privacy breaches and potential exploitation, to which minors are particularly susceptible, according to the report. Specification.
“Parents should not fear that their family’s online privacy and security may be compromised through the unknowing use of apps owned by foreign adversaries,” Scott said in a statement issued on Tuesday. .
Senators Roger Wicker (Republican, Mississippi) and Senator James Lankford (Republican, Oklahoma) were also sponsors of the bill.
Wicker said in a statement that the bill would prohibit foreign adversaries from abusing certain tools to collect personal data of Americans “to gain an advantage over the United States.”
“The Know Your App Act will bring much-needed transparency to app stores and empower Americans to protect their families from exploitation,” he added.
