US government employees can no long use the TikTok app on their officially issued smartphones. The popular short video sharing platform has officially been banned and staff can no longer install this app on their phones.

The Committee of House Administration or the COA has just informed its staff that the social media app is banned from being used on House issued mobile endpoints. As per the official emails, ” The Office of Cybersecurity has been deemed the TikTok mobile application to be a high risk to users due to a number of security risks.” Furthermore, anyone working in the agency will also need to remove the app immediately from their official handsets or risk being contacted by the COA Office of Cybersecurity.

The ban isn’t just limited to the COA but will also extend to other organizations and agencies within the US government. This news follows the recent spending bill that includes a more comprehensive ban that will prevent all federal issued devices from installing TikTok apps. For those unaware, the app is currently the most popular social media platform across many nations. However, it also faces criticism for being operated by ByteDance, which is a China based company and follows Chinese policy towards data management, privacy, and more.

Plus, it has also been accused on occasions for harvesting user data and other sensitive information as well. For this reason, the app still remains banned in India while various other governments, including the US have scrutinized and criticized the platform on multiple occasions.

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(Via)

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TCL, the known TV maker from China, has denied the allegations of it planting backdoor software, which would allow the Chinese government access to its TVs sold in the US market.

According to DigiTimes report, the company refuted these claims as media reports about the US Department of Homeland Security investigating TCL for allegedly planting backdoor software into its TVs for its US based partners. TCL has claimed that it has yet to be informed by the government regarding this reported investigation. The company said that the TVs that it ships are only pre installed with operating systems developed by Roku and Google.

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As per the company, its actions have met all the industry guidelines and general rules, technological policies, local laws, and even security standards. Furthermore, during this time of crisis, TV makers have seen a rise in shipments, with TCL’s financial results showcased that the company sold 7.24 million TVs in the third quarter of 2020, which is up by 24.7 percent from the same period last year and 49.7 percent on year with sales for the first three quarters of 2020.

Notably, TCL’s biggest market outside of its home country China is the US. Although, its US shipments had surpassed the Chinese ones in the first half of 2020. At the moment, TCL panels are mainly supplied by CSOT, which is the company’s subsidiary. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing more updates when more information is available on the matter.

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The US Justice Department recently announced that it is appealing a judge’s ruling to block the government from banning Apple and Google from offering the popular Chinese app, WeChat, through their respective app stores.

For those unaware, a recent crackdown saw the social media application also face a possible ban by the US Government, which might have even extended across Android and iOS devices in China. However, the government has now stated that is appealing the ruling passed by the Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler. This judgment had blocked the US Commerce Department’s order, which would have barred every US based transactions with Tencent Holding’s WeChat. This would effectively have made the app unavailable/unusable in the US.

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Initially, the Justice Department stated that Beeler’s orders were in error and “permits the continued, unfettered use of WeChat, a mobile application that the Executive Branch has determined constitutes a threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” On the other hand, WeChat Users Alliance, the group that is fighting the legal battles against the WeChat ban said that the department “has still presented no compelling national security interest to justify such an unprecedented ban.”

Furthermore, the group also added that Tencent had tried to negotiate a settlement with the Commerce Department as well, offering numerous mitigation measures and even to address any data security concerns. Judge Beeler also added that WeChat users have “have shown serious questions going to the merits of the First Amendment claim,” which guarantees freedom of speech. The app has millions of daily active users in the country and plays an integral role in many lives, especially Chinese students living in America. Although, it remains to be seen just how the entire situation plays out. So stay tuned for more updates.

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The known wearables and smart products maker, Fitbit, has its upcoming ventilator receive an emergency approval from the FDA. The US government’s Food and Drug Administration has given Fitbit an Emergency Use Authorization for its Flow ventilators, which will be used to help patients with COVID-19 infection.

At the moment, the US government is reportedly “in talks” with Fitbit to supply its Flow ventilator units. For those unaware, Flow is a ventilator built with advanced sensors and alert systems that features a simple user interface and is easy to operate. This would eliminate the need for specialized training and is also built to target “lower price range” or cost effective emergency ventilators.

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Fitbit is confident in its production capabilities, stating that it will have an advantage in activity tracking since it is a known smart product manufacturer. However, the company still has a few hurdles to tackle, with the primary one being a customer base. It needs to find customers to sell to since its arrival to the market is relatively late. Furthermore, the demand for this ventilator is also uncertain as another wave of COVID-19 occurring is unknown as well. As it stands right now, the Flow could be crucial in key areas, but only if the situation demands it.

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(Via)

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The Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley had recently announced their plans on introducing a new bill, which will ban US government employees from using products made by Chinese companies that are deemed as security threats. This includes telecom and electronics product makers like Huawei and ZTE in particular.

The political leaders are seeking to pass the Countering Chinese Attempts at Snooping Act, which will essentially prohibit federal officials from conducting any official business through the use of technology from companies that are deemed as a risk. The State Department will be responsible for judgment regarding whether or not a company is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

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The bill will have the State Department creating a list of companies that are backed by the Chinese government, which could pose a threat to national security, especially in regards to espionage and data leaks. The Republican Senators also particularly pointed out Huawei and ZTE platforms as major risks alongside Tencent in regards to other media based platforms.

According to Ted Cruz, “Companies like Tencent and Huawei are espionage operations for the Chinese Communist Party, masquerading as telecom companies for the 21st century.” The Senator further added that “these are just some of the measures we will have to take as the United States reevaluates its relationship with China and the CCP.” Josh Hawley also called the Tencent group as a “glorified surveillance arm” for the Chinese government.

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Earlier this week, Apple faced a backlash from law enforcements in the US. On Monday (13th January 2020), a press conference took place regarding the shooting in a US naval base in Florida which has since been deemed as an act of terrorism.

Reportedly, Attorney General William Barr and FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich took shots at the Cupertino based tech giant after it refused to unlock two iPhones that belonged to Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. The terrorist was a military trainee from Saudi Arabia that was taking part in an international military training program who attacking the naval base.

Historically, Apple has always declined local and international law enforcement regarding the unlocking of devices. The main reason for this is the user privacy of its vast number of customers. In the press conference, the Attorney General directed his message towards Apple and other technology based firms to provide complete assistance and cooperation once probable cause for illegal activities is ruled by the courts.

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This incident also brought up the debate regarding where tech giants across the globe draw the line between user privacy and digital evidence for incarceration. In 2015, following a mass shooting in California, Apple faced the same dilemma with federal agencies as it denied to unlock another iPhone. Since then, the FBI has turned towards Israel based Cellebrite to crack into the device.

As of right now, Apple has not given out any official statements regarding the press conference and the role the company plays in the situation. So we will have to wait and see what the incident develops into, Stay tuned!

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ByteDance, the parent company behind TikTok, is reportedly looking into options to address the concerns regarding the alleged national security allegations from the US Government.

Previously, we had reported on news regarding the US Government suing TikTok, the popular short video app, for harvesting user data and sending it back to China. Now, it seems that ByteDance is considering multiple options for its defense against this accusation. It ranges from an aggressive denial and trial in courts to operational separation from TikTok itself.

According to a report, ByteDance selling the majority stake in TikTok could have it rake in about 10 Billion US Dollars. This evaluation was calculated after the app’s valuation surged in 2019 as it gained popularity on a global scale. A few news agencies have also stated that the company is currently one of the world’s most valuable startups. Unfortunately, the tensions between the US and China in the form of trade disputes are threatening its operations and future growth.

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If ByteDance were to sell TikTok, the most logical option would be to offer up a majority stake in TikTok to financial investors. Notably, companies like SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, and Susquehanna International are large financial firms that were one of the early investors in the social media app. Thus, a sale of its majority stake could allow the parent company to cash in when the app is extremely popular and avoid any future difficulties.

Recently, the US Army has even launched an investigation into the app stating its handling of user data puts military information and practices at risk as well. Additionally, there is an abundance of evidence regarding the app censoring data in accordance with Chinese censorship standards which also point towards its accused allegiance.

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About this time last year, Huawei was at the forefront of China’s bid to beat the US in the race to roll out 5G technology. Who would have thought a year after, the company would be battling to stay in the race to supply carriers 5G hardware? The US thinks Huawei and other Chinese tech companies are security threats and have advised its allies to boycott using 5G infrastructure manufactured by Huawei. That advice from Trump’s US has been positively received by a few countries like Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Some other countries are said to be reviewing their final position about allowing Huawei to supply their country’s 5G hardware.

Chinese firms like Huawei and ZTE are already considered as threats to national security by the US Congress since 2012. Huawei was effectively prevented from releasing its smartphones in the US and the government has already banned the US of Huawei’s hardware and smartphones inside US security facilities. In order to further drive home its seriousness, the US government is reportedly planning to sign an executive order that will ban U.S. carriers from using networking equipment from any Chinese manufacturer, according to a report in Politico.

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The report says Donald Trump is expected to sign the order next week, just before the commencement of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona. The trade show is expected to hold from February 25th to February 28th. According to an anonymous industry source, “There’s a big push to get it out before MWC.” The source also hinted that the timing is designed to let the wireless world know that the U.S. is putting cybersecurity first. Presently, Huawei is the world’s number one source of networking equipment, and major carriers around the world are already planning to utilise Huawei’s equipment for their next-gen 5G networks. We can’t tell if the US ban will effectively tilt the balance in favour of Trump’s stance or if Huawei still gets to retain much of its 5G contracts. It is unclear how this ban will affect other Chinese tech firms will fare but this definitely doesn’t look good if it turns out to be true.

(source)

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