 Act received support from the White House and 12 senators from both parties.){kind=link}
The Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act received support from the White House and 12 senators from both parties early this month.
Comparing the RESTRICT Act to other proposed legislation that would explicitly forbid transactions by specific social media sites, it needs to be more prescriptive from a technical standpoint.
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The Act’s declared goal is to reduce threats to national security by enabling the Secretary of Commerce to examine, obstruct, and mitigate foreign information and communications technology (ICT) transactions that constitute an excessive risk.
Why Is the Act Critical for the U.S. Government?
The proposed legislation would serve as a general framework to allow the U.S. government to evaluate foreign innovations entering the Country individually.
In other words, if it’s determined that a piece of software or equipment from a particular nation poses a risk, the Act would make it simpler for the U.S. government to prohibit or require its sale.
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As an illustration, the RESTRICT Act is being promoted just days after the White House gave federal agencies a final deadline to remove TikTok from all devices provided by the government.
“We look forward to continuing working with both Democrats and Republicans on this bill and urge Congress to act quickly to send it to the President’sPresident’s desk,” says an official statement from the white house.