The U.S. Congress over the weekend approved two pieces of legislation which could impact how you are using your phone. The first was a two-year reauthorization of the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) which allows the government warrantless access to communication such as emails, texts, and phone calls.
Those in favor say it’s an important tool to prevent cyberattacks and terrorism, while those opposed say it is a violation of the right to privacy and civil liberties. The reauthorization was approved by the Senate 50-42.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. House, packed away in the foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel, a bill was included which would force TikTok owners ByteDance, located in China, to sell their app to a US company in the next nine months. If ByteDance refuses or is unable to do so, the app, which has approx. 170 million users in the U.S., could be banned. Those in favor say the app is a dangerous tool in which the Chinese government could have access to the data of U.S. civilians. Those opposed say a ban violates the right to free speech and could financially ruin millions of Americans.