World

‘Death by a thousand cuts:’ US TikTok bans gain ground

Soon after Texas university students returned to classes in January, they received a note from the IT department informing them of a new rule: they could no longer access TikTok, the popular video app, on university Wi-Fi.

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Students had mixed feelings. “There are legitimate security concerns with the app,” said Adam Nguyen, a 19-year-old computer science major at the University of Texas at Austin.

“But people should be able to make their own decisions – this sets a dangerous precedent with the university deciding what sorts of things you can do on the network,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The move comes as part of a swirl of efforts to limit the use of TikTok – which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance – in the US, over fears that US user data could be passed on to China’s government.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee plans to hold a vote this month on a bill aimed at blocking the use of TikTok in the US.

“There are real concerns about data gathering by Chinese companies,” said Aynne Kokas, a professor of the University of Virginia, and author of the book Trafficking Data: How China Is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty.

“But the idea that this problem goes away if you ban TikTok, that’s just not true.”

For three years, TikTok – which has more than 100 million US users – has been seeking to assure Washington that the personal data of US citizens cannot be accessed and its content cannot be manipulated by China’s Communist Party or anyone else under Beijing’s influence.

TikTok did not respond to a request for comment, but has said in past statements that bans are based on “unfounded falsehoods about TikTok”.

‘Death by a thousand cuts’

TikTok has been the most downloaded app in the US since 2021, according to data from Sensor Tower, a data analytics company.

In December last year President Joe Biden signed a law banning TikTok from government devices and more than half of US states have passed similar restrictions, with college campuses and even some elementary schools following suit.

Sarah Kreps, director at the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University, said the ban should be seen within the context of a more-than-decades long effort by the US to limit the spread of Chinese technology.

“It’s part of this larger government effort to slow down Chinese progress and impede their ability to engage in surveillance of Americans,” she said, pointing to restrictions on imports on hardware by China’s tech giant Huawei and telecom equipment maker ZTE going back over a decade.

US courts blocked a move by the Trump administration in 2020 to ban the Chinese messaging app WeChat from Apple and Google’s app stores, citing free speech concerns.

Kreps said the concerns over surveillance are credible, pointing to a report from Forbes magazine in December that found ByteDance had used the TikTok app to track multiple journalists to discover the source of leaks.

Kreps said she understood the need to limit TikTok’s access to government devices, but efforts to ban the app more broadly were likely motivated by political and commercial concerns aimed at slowing TikTok’s spread, rather than banning it outright, she added.

“Right now we are looking at a patchwork approach – it’s not very effective,” she said. “It feels like death by a thousand cuts.”

Students can easily bypass the bans by using their own data – and government workers are still able to access TikTok from personal devices.

Data protection

Kokas of the University of Virginia said the focus on TikTok underscores the US failure to pass comprehensive data protection laws that could address data privacy issues across multiple platforms.

“It’s a destabilizing effort to target an individual company, rather than a serious effort to carefully examine and address the extractive and exploitative US tech environment when it comes to data,” she said.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat pushing to ban TikTok from operating in the US, pointed to Huawei, which has faced bans on its products from the United States and other countries, as an example of a global response to security concerns.

“When you have … 140 million Americans’ user data and algorithms ultimately, potentially controlled by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), that’s a problem,” Krishnamoorthi said in a phone interview.

The legislation Rep. Krishnamoorthi and Wisconsin’s Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher introduced in the House does single out TikTok and Bytedance.

But it also leaves room for restrictions on social media companies housed in countries of “concern” which include China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela, according to the bill text.

The bans have ignited a broader debate over internet sovereignty and the trade-offs countries face for seeking to counter China’s influence in the technology space.

Daniel Lyons of Boston College Law School said the college campus bans and broader bans on TikTok do raise concerns over free speech, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

“A flat ban on using TikTok at all infringes (on) a lot more speech than necessary to limit the flow of sensitive information to China,” he said.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council did not provide comment on legislation to ban TikTok from operating in the US and security issues surrounding the app.

Policymaking

In addition to bills pending in Congress, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) has been in talks with TikTok for more than two years on a path forward after ordering ByteDance to divest TikTok in 2020 over concerns that user data could be passed onto the Chinese government.

In 2019, CFIUS forced Chinese gaming company Kunlun to divest from gay dating app Grindr, citing data privacy concerns.

TikTok has floated a plan that would have US tech giant Oracle store data of the app’s US users and a US security division oversee data protection and content moderation decisions.

Krishnamoorthi stressed that policymakers must ensure the debate avoids getting steered toward xenophobia or racism. For example, anti-Asian rhetoric ramped up during the coronavirus pandemic, including expressions like “China virus” that were frequently used by former President Donald Trump.

“That being said, we have to be cognizant that the CCP is a real threat,” he said. “In light of that, we have to counter those threats.”

Aubrey Flores, a 20-year-old sophomore at Texas A&M University who enjoys watching TikTok videos, still welcomed the ban.

“If we have to make sacrifices due to bans or restrictions as consumers for our own safety then we should accept that,” she said.

TikTok ‘thinspiration’ videos contribute to eating disorders among UAE teens: Experts

More US states ban TikTok from state devices on security concerns

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM