Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act [pdf]

As a European I'd like to see my compatriots to wake up that having zero alternatives to US companies is pretty unhealty. For smartphone OSes the alternatives are not realistic for 99.9%. For PCs it's probably 95%.

We live in a free world (which I don't always notice in US legislation), so I am not asking for laws to forbid it. But just don't use products of companies not showing respect for our data protection standards located in a country the government of which sees no limititations regarding spying on foreigners.

Oh wow, this bill gives the president the ability to designate any app/website/desktop-app as controlled by a foreign adversary:

> that is determined by the President to present a significant threat to the national security of the United State

Honestly I'm very uncomfortable with that.

I wonder if this is the "chicken tax" of our generation

Should worry about domestic adversaries too, there are plenty of them (hi Microsoft)

It would be kind of nice if they spent any of this effort on protecting Americans from the older and more pervasive domestic adversary controlled applications. Especially as it could be done in terms of generally applicable principles and not just come off as petty protectionism and blatant disregard of the first amendment. Like say some straightforward anti-trust legislation to end this widespread bundling of client apps together with publishing/hosting services, and a port of the GDPR to give individuals some agency regarding the surveillance industry.

Honestly I think the best way to explain this is: TikTok is devouring market share held by the major news outlets and Facebook. Both of which are heavily invested in the current American political class, and visa versa.

Despite all the pearl clutching, this has nothing to do with preventing foreign propaganda and everything about preserving home grown propaganda and Fidelity account balances.