Tech Diplomacy Now: TikTok in Crisis
Are TikTok's days numbered? Congress has passed legislation to tackle the threats posed by apps under the control of foreign adversaries, including TikTok, which is backed by the PRC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Top News of the Week
The Briefing
Latest News
Technology Strategy and Policy
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Critical Minerals
Synthetic Biology
Quantum
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Energy and Climate
Opinion and Commentary
Top News of the Week – TikTok in Crisis
After earlier efforts stalled, Congress has passed legislation to tackle the threats posed by apps under the control of foreign adversaries, including TikTok, which is backed by the PRC. The House of Representatives passed the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Applications Act" (H.R. 7521) with broad bipartisan support on Wednesday. The bill is now on its way to the Senate. If enacted, it will compel ByteDance to divest of TikTok or see the app banned in the United States.
Timeline:
April 2023: Plan to Ban TikTok in Montana is a preview for the rest of the country. Federal judge blocks Montana's TikTok ban before it takes effect.
March 2024: Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) & Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), unveiled a bill that would force ByteDance to divest of TikTok or face the app’s ban in the United States.
The two House leaders negotiated White House support and the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee agreed to consider the bill for a vote.
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, were caught off guard and organized a massive influence campaign to flood congressional offices with demands they vote against the bill.
The influence campaign backfired and after a unanimous vote in the Energy and Commerce Committee, H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 352 – 65.
More Background:
TikTok lobbying surges ahead of House vote this week – Axios, March 11, 2024
TikTok Stunt Motivates Lawmakers to Take on the App – WSJ, March 8, 2024
Inside the surprise effort to force TikTok’s divestiture – The Spectator, March 9, 2024
TikTok’s biggest threat just passed the House - Politico, March 13, 2024
After TikTok bill sails through House, Senators pump the brakes - Washington Post, March 15, 2024
What China Is Saying About the TikTok Furor in Washington - New York Times, March 15, 2024
What Happens Next With TikTok? - New York Times, March 13, 2024
The Briefing
This generation has a right and responsibility to mold the tech landscape. This isn’t a spectator sport, your participation is crucial to advancing the practice of Tech Diplomacy.
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue took this message to SXSW where CEO of Tech Diplomacy, Michelle Giuda spoke with Sam Jaddi, CIO at ADT, about secure surveillance. Michelle joined a roundtable discussion on advancing freedom with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and caught up with Bloomberg to discuss artificial intelligence and how TikTok remains a national security risk.
Latest News
Xi Sticks to His Vision for China’s Rise Even as Growth Slows – NYTs, March 9, 2024
Taiwan commanders authorized to use force against intruding enemy military aircraft, vessels – Taiwan News, March 8, 2024
Army intelligence analyst charged with selling military secrets to contact in China for $42,000 – CBS News, March 7, 2024
Top official from China's Xinjiang says 'Sinicisation' of Islam 'inevitable' – Laurie Chen, Reuters, March 7, 2024
Technology Strategy and Policy
US Will ‘Do Whatever It Takes’ to Curb China Tech, Raimondo Says – Bloomberg, March 11, 2024
How Innovative Is China in the Robotics Industry? – ITIF, March 11, 2024
Computer chip group SEMI to EU: new export controls should be 'last resort' – Reuters, March 5, 2024
Dealing with Decoupling from China: Business Strategies in a Changing World – Leiden Asia Centre, March 2024
Artificial Intelligence
Palantir wins US Army contract for battlefield AI – The Register, March 8, 2024
Chinese National Residing in California Arrested for Theft of Artificial Intelligence-Related Trade Secrets from Google – U.S. Department of Justice, March 6, 2024
Chinese national arrested and charged with stealing AI trade secrets from Google – NPR, March 6, 2024
I used generative AI to turn my story into a comic—and you can too – MIT Technology Review, March 5, 2024
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Espionage Probe Finds Communications Device on Chinese Cranes at U.S. Ports – WSJ, March 7, 2024
How Microsoft’s Bing Helps Maintain Beijing’s Great Firewall – Bloomberg, March 7, 2024
Critical Minerals
Australia and Canada to cooperate on critical minerals – Australian Government, March 8, 2024
Australia and Vietnam upgrade relations, to begin talks on critical minerals – CNBC, March 6, 2024
From confrontation to collaboration: Working together on critical minerals supply chains – Lowy Institute, March 5, 2024
The world needs more critical minerals. Governments are not helping – The Economist, February 22, 2024
How Indonesia Can Win the Global Race on Critical Minerals – The Diplomat, February 2, 2024
High demand for energy-related critical minerals creates supply chain pressures – WTO, January 10, 2024
Synthetic Biology
'All of Us' research project diversifies the storehouse of genetic knowledge – NPR, March 7, 2024
Weight Loss Drugs Threatened by US Effort to Contain China – Bloomberg, March 6, 2024
Gallagher Exposes Group That Lobbied against Chinese Biotech Ban, Urges DOJ Review – National Review, March 5, 2024
Spider Silk is Woven into the Future of Sustainability – SynBioBeta, February 6, 2024
Quantum
Protecting quantum computers from adversarial attacks – Innovation News Network, March 11, 2024
House Science chairman looks to pass quantum bill – NextGov, March 8, 2024
Google launches $5m prize to find actual uses for quantum computers – New Scientist, March 4, 2024
Advanced Aerospace Technology
North Korean missiles developed with foreign help, Nikkei finds – Nikkei Asia, March 10, 2024
Space One postpones bid to be Japan's first private firm to put satellite in orbit – Japan Times, March 9, 2024
Stratolaunch conducts first powered flight of new hypersonic vehicle off California coast – ABC News, March 9, 2024
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Malaysia: the surprise winner from US-China chip wars – FT, March 11, 2024
US Mulls Blacklisting CXMT to Curb China’s Chip Advance – Bloomberg, March 9, 2024
Huawei Chip Breakthrough Used Tech from Two US Gear Suppliers – Bloomberg, March 8, 2024
China Readies $27 Billion Chip Fund to Counter Growing US Curbs – Bloomberg, March 8, 2024
Energy and Climate
China–US climate collaboration concerns as Xie and Kerry retire – Nature, March 12, 2024
Japanese and Swiss scientists create glass that generates electric current – Japan Times, March 7, 2024
US solar wafer build stutters as Chinese surplus bites – Reuters, March 7, 2024
Trump versus Biden: what the rematch could mean for three key science issues – Nature, Mar
Opinion and Commentary
Chinese EV Makers Are Targeting European, U.S. Markets – Foreign Policy, March 7, 2024
The Robots are Coming. And that’s a Good Thing – Daniela Rus, MIT Technology Review, March 5, 2024
Putin Needs to Feel the Pain – Edward Fishman and Kevin Brunelli, Politico, February 28, 2024
About: Tech Diplomacy Now
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader of the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies, and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom.