A pair of bipartisan Senate lawmakers has introduced legislation that would establish a risk-based approach to addressing threats posed by foreign technologies, including social media applications, telecommunications platforms and security software.
Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, and Mark Warner, D-Va, chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, seek to direct the Department of Commerce to create a risk-based process of identifying and mitigating foreign technology threats, Thune’s office said Tuesday.
The Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act would prioritize ICT products used in critical infrastructure and national security missions.
“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,” Warner, a three-time Wash100 awardee, said.
Thune said a “holistic, methodical approach” is needed to address threats posed by products manufactured by foreign adversaries and ensure that ICT products used by consumers are secure.
The senator also highlighted national security concerns with applications made by Chinese developers including ByteDance’s TikTok.
“It is widely acknowledged that TikTok is a threat to our national security, which is why Congress took steps last year to ban the platform on government devices,” Thune said.
