The social networking app TikTok is facing the lawmakers of the United States over data privacy and security concerns. However, apart from the loss of social networking platforms, the proposed RESTRICT Act also known as the TikTok ban bill can cover lot many services such as VPN and Crypto. Which has arose privacy and freedom of speech concerns amongst US citizens.
A few weeks back TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew sat with US Lawmakers for five hour-long questions and released a video on the app stating what could TikTok ban in the US could mean. Following the meeting, Netizens got to know more regarding the RESTRICT Act which is proposed with broad language and can affect Crypto to VPNs. Let’s find out more about it.
What is the RESTRICT Act also known as the TikTok ban bill?
The RESTRICT Act is a proposed piece of legislation that can provide rights to the government to review, restrict, or ban all kinds of communication services with connections to foreign countries. Digital Rights experts and citizens of the United States are concerned over the bill’s broad language.
The bill is originally proposed to target apps and services that can be a threat to national security. However, it can affect social media and security tools such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
According to Willmary Escoto, U.S. policy analyst for digital rights organization Access Now, the RESTRICT Act rises serious Human and civil rights concerns.
The Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act is led by Senators Mark Warner and John Thune.
Due to this bill, the Department of Commerce can identify all the information and communication products that a foreign adversary has an interest in or that pose a threat to national security.
The major concern among citizens is the broad language of the bill that lists desktop, mobile, gaming, payment, and web-based applications. Moreover, it targets applicable software with more than 1 million users in the United States.
Caitlin Vogus, deputy director of the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Free Expression Project, emailed a statement to VICE. She stated that RESTRICT Act may be concerned with legitimate privacy concerns. However, foreign countries can still obtain data through other means.
“Any bill that would allow the US government to ban an online service that facilitates Americans’ speech raises serious First Amendment concerns,”
The TikTok ban bill’s impact on VPNs become a matter of concern for Netizens. VPNs are useful tools for digital security and many journalists, activities, and social rights defenders use them to protect their online activity from censorship.
Netizens express their concerns regarding the RESTRICT Act
After reading more about the TikTok ban bill many Netizens took to social networking sites to spread awareness about the bill.
Reading The Restrict Act text now.
I’m on page 11 of 55. This is thing is a huge power grab. They should be embarrassed they are trying for this kind of power and it’s horrifying this might become law.
— Kron (@Kronykal) March 29, 2023
Many Netizens also expressed their concerns regarding the alleged prison term for using VPNs or apps that government may restrict over security concerns.
Senate Bill 686, The Restrict Act, wants to put you in jail for 20 years for using a VPN for using a website or app is operated by a “foreign adversaries.” These are the foreign adversaries btw pic.twitter.com/v05Hs3B4oJ
— Spooky 🎃 Lolo (@LolOverruled) March 27, 2023
Moreover, Netizens noticed that the RESTRICT Act can affect cryptocurrency and Bitcoins as well.
If the RESTRICT ACT (“Tiktok ban”) passes, it will be used to attempt a ban on #bitcoin.
Have any of y’all actually read the text of the bill?
This isn’t about Tiktok. This gives the executive branch total control to police the internet.
Wake up. pic.twitter.com/eBWM1LUZa2
— Bit Paine ⚡️ (@BitPaine) March 24, 2023
Will TikTok ban bill affect privacy or freedom of speech?
None of this is even remotely true, nor is any of it in the bill. Everyone in the comments believes him anyway.
The RESTRICT Act does not, in fact, give the government blanket access to everything you do on the internet. There isn’t even a way to reasonably interpret it as such. pic.twitter.com/yXasicYhk5
— Rowan Saydlowski (@rsaydlowski) March 29, 2023
Rachel Cohen, communications director for Senator Warner, responded to VICE regarding the rising concerns of citizens of the United States. She clarified that the bill only aims toward potential security threats such as Kaspersky, Huawei, and TikTok. It does not affect individual users and citizens.
Additionally, she clarifies that the threshold for monetary or imprisonment penalty is incredibly high. Hence, it is unlikely to affect anybody’s individual use of TikTok or VPNs. They also pointed out the bill’s introduction which points to other foreign-linked companies that may pose their own security and privacy issues.
Mark Warner also mentions the bill concerned with Huawei and ZTE and their impact on telecommunication security. He remarks that before TikTok those companies challenged national security. Furthermore, he noted Russia’s Kaspersky, which proposed a threat to government and corporate devices.
“We need a comprehensive, risk-based approach that proactively tackles sources of potentially dangerous technology before they gain a foothold in America, so we aren’t playing Whac-A-Mole and scrambling to catch up once they’re already ubiquitous.”
However, the citizens of the United States can’t help but feel insecure regarding the loopholes that RESTRICT Act provides. Due to its broad language, the bill can assist in implementing bans on international communication apps and other services.
What is your opinion regarding the RESTRICT Act? Do share with us in the comments below. You may also follow Spiel Times for more latest news covering current events, entertainment, gaming, and sports.
