The House of Representatives has taken a significant step in safeguarding sensitive American user data by passing the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act. The bill, introduced by House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairwoman and a representative from New Jersey, advanced through the committee with a unanimous bipartisan vote of 50-0.
The bill, which passed the House with a vote of 414-0, aims to prevent data brokers from transferring sensitive information of U.S. individuals to foreign adversaries. The definition of 'sensitive data' includes a range of personal information such as biometric data, private communications, social security numbers, and geo-location data.
This legislation is a response to growing concerns about foreign governments like Russia, Iran, and China accessing American user data. It forms part of a broader bipartisan effort in Congress to protect national security interests and individual privacy.
In a related move, the House also passed a bill targeting the Chinese-backed tech company Bytedance, which owns the popular social media platform TikTok. The bill requires Bytedance to divest from TikTok within 165 days or face a ban from U.S. app stores. Lawmakers supporting the bill argue that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its potential for foreign influence and data privacy issues.
Critics of TikTok have raised concerns about the Chinese government's influence over Bytedance and the app's access to sensitive user data. They fear that the app could be used for mass influence campaigns by the Chinese Communist Party. However, opponents of the bill have highlighted First Amendment concerns and the potential impact on small businesses that rely on TikTok for marketing and outreach.
The passage of these bills reflects a growing bipartisan consensus in Congress on the need to protect American user data from foreign threats and ensure national security in the digital age.
