Apple said it pulled the Meta-owned apps WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China on Friday on government orders, potentially escalating the war over technology between the United States and China. The House of Representatives was preparing to vote on a bill as soon as this weekend that would force the Chinese internet […]
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Congress Ramps Up the Pressure on TikTok
The clock ticks for TikTok The push to either split TikTok from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or ban it in the U.S. is gaining momentum thanks to a legislative maneuver by the House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill’s progress comes as The Times reveals more details about the video platform’s origin story — and the […]
Read MoreTikTok’s Origin Story: Court Files Show Role of GOP Megadonor Jeff Yass
In 2009, long before Jeff Yass became a Republican megadonor, his firm, Susquehanna International Group, invested in a Chinese real estate start-up that boasted a sophisticated search algorithm. The company, 99Fang, promised to help buyers find their perfect homes. Behind the scenes, employees of a Chinese subsidiary of Mr. Yass’s firm were so deeply involved, […]
Read MoreTikTok Bill to Be Bundled With Aid to Ukraine and Israel, House Speaker Indicates
The House on Wednesday made another push to force through legislation that would require the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner or ban the app in the United States, accelerating an effort to disrupt the popular social media app. Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that he intends to package the measure, a modified version […]
Read MoreWhat a TikTok Ban Would Mean for the U.S. Defense of an Open Internet
For decades, the United States has fashioned itself the champion of an open internet, arguing that the web should be largely unregulated and that digital data should flow around the globe unhindered by borders. The government has argued against internet censorship abroad and even funded software that lets people in autocratic states get around online […]
Read MoreTikTok Spends Millions on Ad Blitz as Congress Considers Banning the App
In a TV commercial, Sister Monica Clare, a nun in northern New Jersey, walks through a church that’s bathed in sunlight and sits in a pew, crossing herself. Her message: TikTok is a force for good. “Because of TikTok, I’ve created a community where people can feel safe asking questions about spirituality,” she says in […]
Read MoreMike Gallagher on Why Conservatives Want TikTok Sold
Last month, the House passed a bill that would require TikTok’s parent company to sell its U.S. business to a company without ties to the Chinese government, or face a ban of the TikTok app in the United States. In Washington, which has become increasingly hawkish toward the Chinese government, worries and fears about the […]
Read MoreChina’s Advancing Efforts to Influence the U.S. Election Raise Alarms
Covert Chinese accounts are masquerading online as American supporters of former President Donald J. Trump, promoting conspiracy theories, stoking domestic divisions and attacking President Biden ahead of the election in November, according to researchers and government officials. The accounts signal a potential tactical shift in how Beijing aims to influence American politics, with more of […]
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