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Biden administration reviewing app security recommendations ordered after dropped WeChat and TikTok bans

  • Federal agencies have submitted a report on the risks of apps associated with foreign adversaries along with recommended actions
  • The Biden administration ordered the assessment of foreign apps after it scrapped a Trump-era executive action seeking to ban Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat

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A reflection of the US flag seen on the signs of the WeChat and TikTok apps on September 19, 2020. Photo: Reuters

The Biden administration is holding talks among federal agencies about the security of Americans’ data and whether the US government has adequate tools.

In June, President Joe Biden withdrew a series of Trump-era executive orders that sought to ban new downloads of Chinese-owned WeChat and TikTok and ordered a Commerce Department review of security concerns posed by those apps.

The order set a December 6 deadline for Commerce, in consultation with other government agencies, to submit a report on “additional executive and legislative actions to address the risk associated with connected software applications” that are acquired or accessible by companies controlled or based in countries that are deemed foreign adversaries.

A White House official confirmed to Reuters that the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence “have submitted an initial set of analyses and recommendations” in connection with the order, without offering details.

The official added that the “administration is now engaged in inter-agency deliberations to ensure that relevant departments and agencies have the tools, authorities and resources needed to protect Americans’ sensitive data”. The administration did not release any of the findings.

On November 26, the Commerce Department proposed amending regulations on information and communications technology supply chains to provide additional criteria to implement Biden’s executive order and determine if connected software applications present unacceptable risks.

The Commerce Department said in October it met a separate deadline to make recommendations to protect US data.

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