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| Biden government reviews security recommendations for Chinese apps |
The Biden administration is negotiating among federal agencies about the security of US data and whether the US government has the right tools.
In June, President Joe Biden withdrew a number of executive orders under Donald Trump. I tried to block new downloads from the Chinese WeChat and TikTok platforms. He also directed the US Department of Commerce to investigate the security concerns of these apps.
The ordinance sets December 6 as the deadline for the Department of Commerce to negotiate with other government agencies to report additional administrative and legislative actions to resolve problems with related software applications obtained or accessed by regulated businesses or organizations.
A White House official confirmed to Reuters that the Department of Commerce and Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence provided preliminary analysis and recommendations on the matter, but did not elaborate.
The official added that the government is currently conducting cross-departmental reviews to ensure that relevant departments and agencies have the tools, authorities and resources to protect sensitive US data. The government has not announced any results.
On November 26, the US Department of Commerce proposed changes to ICT supply chain regulations to provide additional standards for implementing Biden's decisions and to determine whether interconnected software applications pose an unacceptable risk.
The US Commerce Department announced in October that it had issued recommendations on US data protection ahead of a special deadline.
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The administration of former President Donald Trump tried to ban new users from downloading Chinese apps and block other tech transactions.
Chinese platforms Tik Tok and WeChat said at the time that the measures would completely ban the apps from being used in the United States.
These decrees were blocked by US courts and never entered into force. The Donald Trump administration has alleged that WeChat and TikTok pose a national security risk as the Chinese government can collect sensitive personal information from US users. China and the apps deny any misuse of US data.