Multiple ASUS, OnePlus & Motorola devices get ARCore approval

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Google has officially confirmed ARCore support for a host of Motorola, ASUS, Xiaomi, and OnePlus smartphones. Spotted by Android Police, these are among the 17 new devices that have recently made it to the ARCore support list, including a Lenovo tablet. Most of them are budget phones, though there are a few flagship models as well.

The latest round of additions from Google includes the ASUS Zenfone 9, ASUS ROG Phone 6, Motorola Moto G Power (2022), Motorola Moto G42, Motorola Moto G62 5G, OnePlus Nord 2T 5G, OnePlus Nord N20 5G, Xiaomi Poco X4 GT, Xiaomi Redmi K50i, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11T Pro, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 11T Pro+. Lenovo’s Tab P11 Pro (2nd Gen) tablet also gained ARCore approval from the Android maker. The Honor Magic 4 Pro, Micromax In Note 2, Zebra TC53, and Zebra TC58 complete the list (via).

More Android devices gain official ARCore support

Google’s ARCore approval confirms support for augmented reality (AR) experiences on Android devices. It ensures that features like Live View in Google Maps work properly on your phone or tablet. Many social media apps also offer AR features to keep users engaged. With the official support, users of the aforementioned 17 smartphones and tablets can rest assured that such features will work as intended on their devices.

You may have noticed that these devices have been around for almost a year now. And all of them shipped out of the box with AR capabilities. However, Google individually verifies that everything works properly on each new device that hits the market, and takes its own sweet time to do so. It often takes several months to give its ARCore approval to the latest devices. The reason behind this delay remains a mystery. Thankfully, the delay doesn’t affect the functionality. Even without official approval, users can enjoy AR experiences on their supported devices.

Last week, Google added the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Flip 4 to the official ARCore support list. Some of these devices are several months old too. As usual, the Android maker will continue to evaluate new products in the coming months and update the list once in a while. You can expect the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy A54 5G and the OnePlus 11 series to gain official ARCore support later this year. The full list of supported devices can be found here.


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Google Messages tweaked to provide more clarity through minimalism

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Some of you may recall that last October, Google set out to verify some changes to its Messages on Android. Most users who’ve had a ‘Droid phone in the past would be familiar with the app, as it is the one that comes pre-installed with most of the Best Android Phones out there.

That being said, popularity certainly does not prove perfection. In the spirit of this entire Material You redesign thing that the Big G has going on, the Messages app is getting some long-awaited changes in the spirit of the minimalist movement.

The entire gist of it is as follows: gone are the ugly and archaic markers for message statuses such as “read” or “received”, which up until now were just that: the word itself. From here on out, those that’ve gotten the update will see tiny, nifty icons instead.

Hold up though, is this change really necessary? Well, yeah. Tiny text typically causes eye strain, which is something that we all want to avoid. Our brain — the powerful bugger that it is — is capable of understanding symbols much better, and after seeing them a couple of times, it can do so without much effort. So overall: this is a great step forward to reducing mental and physical strain. Yay!

And what are these new symbols that Google has put in your Messages app? Glad you asked! Here’s a breakdown for you:

  • If you see a Timer, then the message is being sent
  • If you are seeing a single Check, then it has been sent
  • If that Checkmark doubles up, then it has been delivered
  • And if you see the double Checkmark become colorized, the recipient has read the message

A quick mental note here: depending on Android version and customization options, said colorization may differ. But this also means that it will be impacted by Android theming, which is always awesome.

All in all, this is a welcomed change. It’s not only easy on the eyes, but it also looks modern and it brings up the Messages app to speed, as other competitors like WhatsApp have already been doing this for years. The update with these changes is rolling out right now, so keep an eye out for it. 


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OPPO Find X6 Pro flagship gets a launch date

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We now know when the OPPO Find X6 Pro flagship will launch. The company announced that the phone will become official on March 21. Do note that this info comes from OPPO China, and this is a China launch event.

The OPPO Find X6 Pro gets a launch date, it’ll arrive on March 21

The Find X6 Pro is not the only device that will launch during that event, though. The OPPO Find X6 is also expected, and the same goes for the OPPO Pad 2 tablet which has been rumored lately.

Some recent reports suggested that the OPPO Find X6 Pro won’t launch globally at all. We do hope that’s not true, as it does seem to be very promising. We’ll have to wait and see, though.

What we know about the device thus far, is that it will offer the brightest display on the market. Its brightness will max out at 2,400 or 2,500 nits, depending on which source you end up believing. The device also surfaced in real-life images not long ago, if you’d like to check those out.

Hasselblad will be a part of the package, as it will likely color-tune the phone’s cameras. The device itself looks very promising, based on the information that leaked out thus far.

OPPO Find X6 Pro render 3

It will offer truly powerful specs, including a 1-inch camera sensor

The phone will, allegedly, feature a 6.82-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC will fuel the phone, while you can expect plenty of RAM too. The device will likely offer up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. UFS 4.0 flash storage is also expected.

A 5,000mAh battery was also mentioned, and the phone will allegedly support 100W wired charging. On top of that, 50W wireless charging will also be supported, it seems.

This will be OPPO’s first smartphone with a 1-inch camera sensor. A 50.3-megapixel main camera (Sony’s IMX989) is tipped. A 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 50-megapixel telephoto camera have also been mentioned.

We’ll know a lot more once the phone launches on March 21, so stay tuned for that.


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Samsung to invest $230 billion in the semiconductor business

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Samsung will reportedly invest a whopping $230 billion in the semiconductor business over the next 20 years. The company will build the world’s largest semiconductor hub in its homeland South Korea. The investment is part of the local government’s latest push to boost the national tech industry.

According to a Reuters report, Samsung will erect five new chip factories in South Korea over the next two decades. This will open up new opportunities for hundreds of “materials, parts and equipment makers, fabless chipmakers, and semiconductor research-and-development organizations”. Many of them could shift their base or expand near the capital city of Seoul to take advantage of Samsung’s expansion.

Separately, Samsung will also invest more than KRW 60 trillion (roughly $45 billion) in the next ten years in regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area. This is a joint investment by Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, and Samsung SDI to boost the chip packaging, displays, and battery technology. Note that the Koren conglomerate has multiple business units that operate independently of each other.

Samsung is pushing South Korea’s semiconductor industry forward

Samsung is one of the biggest players in the tech industry globally. The company leads the industry in several fonts. Most notably, it is the largest smartphone and TV brand and is also the biggest memory chip maker.

SK Hynix, which is second to Samsung in the memory chip business, is also a South Korean company. The local government is looking to take advantage of these two companies’ global presence in pushing the domestic tech industry forward, offering incentives and tax benefits to companies that invest big.

Earlier today, the South Korean government unveiled a KRW 550 trillion (~$417 billion) private-sector investment plan with a vision to boost local production of memory and non-memory chips, displays, and batteries. The government also allocated KRW 25 trillion for R&D in strategic technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) over the next five years.

A separate KRW 360 billion (~$270 million) will go into chip packaging technologies. Lastly, South Korea has announced a budget of about KRW 100 billion (~$75 million) in electricity and water infrastructure for industrial complexes this year.

“The economic battlefield, which recently began with chips, has expanded … countries are providing large-scale subsidies and tax support,” said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. “[We] must support private investments to ensure further growth … the government must provide the location, R&D, manpower, and tax support”.

This comes after a proposal to raise the tax deduction rate for “facility investments in chips and other strategic technologies” in January. South Korea is reportedly looking to raise the tax deduction rate from 8% to 15% for large corporations.


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Snapchat doubles down on Family Center, adds new controls for parents

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Introduced last year, Snapchat’s Family Center was one of Snap’s most important steps toward allowing parents to control the accounts of their offspring. Today, the social app announced more improvements are coming to Family Center, which includes additional controls for parents who aren’t content with what they received in 2022.Suggestively dubbed “Content Controls,” the latest feature for Family Center allows parents to limit the type of content their children can watch on Snapchat. It’s surprising that this wasn’t available when Family Center was launched last year, but at least the feature if finally here.

Particularly, the newly added controls enable parents to filter out Stories from publishers and creators that they feel are not a good match for their kids. Either they’re creating sensitive, suggestive content, or their views are in contradiction with what parents believe about a particular topic, it’s now possible to filter out Stories based on who creates them.

Snap’s policies are designed to prevent “unvetted content from going viral,” so it’s harder for certain content that you can find on TikTok or other social networks to become widely shared on Snapchat. Not to mention that Snap moderates public-facing content from creators and Snapchatters before it’s eligible to get reach on Stories or Spotlight.

Of course, to take advantage of the latest feature for Family Center, you’ll need to have an account set up with your child. The Family Center account is free and can be created in just a few minutes.

In related news, Snap revealed plans to add even more new features to the Family Center. Some of these upcoming features will be built around My AI, Snap’s experimental chatbot, and are meant to provide parents with more visibility and control around their children’s usage of My AI. Other new features might be in the pipeline too, but these are the only ones we know of so far.


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Samsung responds to Galaxy S23 Ultra Moon photos controversy

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Samsung has responded to the recent controversy around the Galaxy S23 Ultra‘s Space Zoom feature. The company dismissed the accusations that its latest flagship captures “fake” photos of the Moon. It says the device uses AI-based scene optimization technology to enhance the details of the image. No image overlays are applied to the end result, an official statement from the Korean behemoth confirmed.

“Samsung is committed to delivering best-in-class photo experiences in any condition,” the Korean firm said in a statement to TomsGuide. “When a user takes a photo of the Moon, the AI-based scene optimization technology recognizes the Moon as the main object and takes multiple shots for multi-frame composition, after which AI enhances the details of the image quality and colors. It does not apply any image overlaying to the photo.”

The company added that disabling the AI-based Scene Optimizer will stop the Galaxy S23 Ultra from enhancing the details of the image. The end result will be just what the 200MP rear camera captures. The handset will not add any details to the photo.

“Users can deactivate the AI-based Scene Optimizer, which will disable automatic detail enhancements to the photo taken by the user,” the statement further read. Note that scene optimization also helps improve the quality of regular images and not just Moon photos.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra created non-existent details on a Moon photo

The controversy around the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Space Zoom began after a Redditor discovered that the device creates non-existent details on Moon photos. Redditor ibreakphotos used a setup that involved a blurry image of the Moon, a monitor, and the new Samsung flagship. They opened the blurry image with no details on the monitor (showing at 170×170 pixels), moved across the room, turned off all lights, and captured the Moon’s image on the monitor using a Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Despite the original image lacking details, the Samsung flagship identified it as a Moon and artificially added details to the photo it captured. The Galaxy S23 Ultra essentially upscaled a blurry image. Since this doesn’t happen with other blurry photos, the Redditor branded the phone’s Moon shots as “fake”.

They are technically correct too. The device artificially applied details to the photo even if it couldn’t capture any details. But Samsung contends that it is using AI to do that and that the results you get aren’t overlayed images.

Some might still call it false advertising. However, Samsung’s point isn’t wrong either. It has trained the Galaxy S23 Ultra to fill in details that its camera can’t capture when taking photos of the Moon. After all, the 200MP camera on its back is still too tiny to see everything on the Moon’s surface.

However, the device isn’t producing the photos itself. It just uses AI to enhance the details. It’s now up to you whether you accept AI enhancements of Moon photos or you’ll sit on the other side and call Samsung fake.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra fake Moon photos controversy


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Step by step process of Bitcoin cash works

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Creating your Bitcoin Cash (or BCH) can quickly be done in simple steps that we will check out in this blog post. By following the given steps, you can send, receive, and store your Bitcoin Cash easily without even relying on third-party services. Because there are many phony or fraudulent cryptos on the market, only use the most trusted platforms, such as the Chain Reaction trading. Here is a step-by-step process of how Bitcoin Cash works:

Mining: Bitcoin Cash generally operates on the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism. The miners use powerful computers to solve complex mathematical equations that will help them verify the transactions on various networks. Once a miner solves this equation, the transaction is added to a blockchain, and the miner gets awarded the minted BCH coins.

Transactions: Transactions on the Bitcoin Cash network are pretty similar to Bitcoin. Users will be able to send & get BCH coins to one another. Transactions can be recorded on a blockchain, a public ledger for anybody to access. These transactions are confirmed by miners, which help in preventing double-spending.

Wallets: Users require a wallet to store the BCH coins. These wallets come in different forms, including hardware wallets, software wallets, and paper wallets. Hardware wallets are considered highly secure as they need to be better connected to the world wide web. The software wallets are simple to use as well as susceptible to hacking. You’ll need to download the Bitcoin Cash Core wallet, which can be found on the official website of Bitcoin Cash. It’s free, secure, and open-source software. After downloading and installing it on your device, you can create a Bitcoin Cash wallet by generating a unique 12-word passphrase. Ensure you keep the passphrase safe, as it is the only way to access the BTC Cash wallet.

Block limit: Next difference between Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash is its block size limit. There is no doubt BTC has a block size limit, say around 1MB, while Bitcoin Cash has a block limit of more than 32 MB. It means more and more transactions are processed on the Bitcoin Cash network, which helps reduce transaction times and fees. When you have this wallet adequately set up, it is essential to fund this with BCH. You can purchase them with cash or through exchanges online. That depends upon where you can buy them; transaction fees and processing time will vary. It is important to note that a few exchanges may need you to register the account before buying and selling BCH.

Once you’ve funded your Bitcoin Cash wallet, you must provide the wallet address you want to send BCH. To do this, go to the Receive tab and click the “Copy Address” button. This will provide you with the public address, which you can use to receive BCH from any sender. Make sure you verify the address with the sender before sending any funds.

Nodes: Nodes are the computers connected to the Bitcoin Cash network. These nodes help maintain the integrity of the network by verifying the transactions and blocks. Nodes are run by anybody and help to decentralize this network.

Forks: Bitcoin Cash was designed because of the hard fork in this Bitcoin blockchain. A hard fork is one significant change to blockchain protocol, which isn’t backward compatible. It means that the nodes that don’t upgrade to the new protocol are left behind.

Adoption: The adoption of Bitcoin Cash is now growing, with a lot of businesses and merchants accepting it as the payment method. BCH is used to pay for goods and services so that it can be exchanged for various other cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies. The final step is to send Bitcoin Cash to another wallet. To do this, you’ll need to enter the public address of the receiver and the amount of BCH you wish to send. You can then confirm the transaction by double-checking the address and the amount before you proceed. Once it’s confirmed, your funds should be on the way and will reach the receiver within minutes.

In conclusion, Bitcoin Cash operates similarly to Bitcoin, but with a larger block size limit, which allows for faster and cheaper transactions. The network is decentralized and is maintained by nodes and miners. BCH can be stored in different types of wallets, and it is growing in popularity as a payment method.


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Angry Birds 2 & more coming to Google Play Games for PC

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If you use Google Play Games for PC, then there are some exciting games coming your way soon. According to Android Police, popular games like Angry Birds 2 and Garena are coming to Google Play Games for PC.

Back in 2021, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 would support Android apps. Well, not to be outdone, Google started testing a Google Play Games launcher for Windows PCs. This lets you install and play games available on the Play Store right on your computer.

Google has been working with different developers to make their games compatible with larger screens. Also, these games can be played with controllers/mouse and keyboards. This gives you a full PC gaming experience while playing the games.

At the moment, this is still in beta, and you can try it out for yourself. Google Play Games for PC is available in 13 markets including the US.

Angry Birds 2 and more games are coming to Play Games for PC

At the moment, the library of available games isn’t quite expansive, but more titles are being added as time goes on. Right now, there are 104 games available to install. This list includes games like Asphalt 9: Legends, Genshin Impact, Dragonball Legends, Rise of Empires, Zen Koi 2, GrimValor, and Summoner’s War: Chronicles. If you play them, you can expect a well-optimized gaming experience.

Now, there are some more titles coming to the game launcher. Firstly, what’s probably the most popular game on this list is Angry Birds 2. It’s the official sequel to the ever-popular Angry Birds.

Next, we have Gerena Free Fire. This is a multiplayer battler royale game similar to PUBg and Fortnite. You’re launched from a plane to the battlegrounds. You need to gather weapons and armor and fight your way through the competition. If you’re the last one standing, you win.

Ludo Kings takes the classic board game and brings it to the small screens. These are just some of the games that are coming to the platform. Keep an eye out for them. If you’re interested in trying out Google Play Games for PC, you can click here.


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Top types of wallets for digital yuan

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Development of the system of Finance is crucial for every country of the world. Regardless of the nation, you live in; you will find things sophisticated when modern technology is updated. So, when you are living in China and want to make sure that you are using the most technologically advanced option of Finance, you will go for the Digital yuan on the Yuan Pay Group. It is one of the crucial things you will use in the modern world of the Chinese government as it is a digital token launched by the central bank digital currency. You need to know that the Chinese government has launched it; therefore, it can provide many advantages that the Fiat money system cannot.

There are going to be plenty of things that are required to be kept in mind when you are willing to use the Digital yuan. Moreover, safety and security should be your priority when using the Digital yuan, which is why you need to understand how the wallets will work. Yes, there is a diversity of wallets you will find in the digital tokens market, and you have to pick the one that will be the most suitable for your digital tokens. Even though there are many options available, you will need help to pick the safest one. So, appropriate information about the types is crucial, and today, we will provide you with the information about the same.

Different types

When the digital tokens market was created, plenty of options were infused in the same, and you will see that many other choices are available. But, as long as there is going to be a lack of choices in your hands, you will find things to be complicated. But let us tell you that today, making money out of the Digital yuan will be sophisticated if you adopt the modern means of making money. So, if you wish to use the Digital yuan for generating income, use the best wallet we will define below.

  • One of the crucial types of wallet you are supposed to use in cryptocurrency trading or digital market trading is the best. Yes, you need to know the Digital yuan is a digital token that is required to be supported with the best level of safety and security, and it can be provided by the hardware wallet only. It is a device that will come along in the form of a small pen drive or something else, and you can use it wherever you want, regardless of any problem.
  • Website types of wallets are also reliable in the modern world. It is optional that you will have your digital hardware wallet when you are travelling or trading in digital tokens. In such a situation, going for the website wallet is also a good option. It is very easily accessible, and you must use the genuine one. The only problem is that you may need help to check the website’s originality; therefore, you can lose money on this one.
  • Software wallets are also popular in the market of digital tokens. Even though it is complicated to use this kind of wallet more than the other wallets, you will find these wallets provide you with the best quality of services available. But, yes, the more complications, the more difficult it will be to make money out of the digital tokens. So, to eliminate all the hurdles from your path of achieving success in digital tokens, make sure to use a software wallet.
  • You may also find paper wallets in the digital token market, but let us tell you that there are more reliable options than this. If you are willing to stay entirely with modern technology, you will not be willing to use this one. Moreover, it is always considered the most complicated type of digital wallet you will use because it is easy. You are going to find the Digital yuan very difficult to store in these wallets because it comes in the form of a QR code. Ultimately, these wallets are linked to a digital space, but you will use paper.

Last words

In the above points, we have provided you with some vital information associated with the wallet that you can use to store your Digital yuan. The digital token ecosystem is well developed everywhere in the world; therefore, regardless of location, you must be very well aware of them. So, if you have plans to use Digital yuan, make sure to go with the hardware wallet because it can provide you with the best security and some of the extraordinary features of digital yuan.


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Sounding like Trump, the Biden administration threatens a U.S. ban on TikTok

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When it comes to short-form vertical video app TikTok, President Joe Biden’s administration sounds very much like the previous administration. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration is threatening TikTok’s owner that the app will be banned in the U.S. unless Chinese company ByteDance divests its interest in TikTok. The report said that The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, made the demand recently.
CFIUS investigates the possible risks to the U.S. when a transaction involving a stateside firm and a foreign company is made. TikTok says that forcing ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok will not affect the security risk that the Biden administration is worried about. 60% of ByteDance shares are owned by global investors with the remaining 40% owned 50%-50% by employees and the company’s founders.

TikTok parent ByteDance proposed spending $1.5 billion to keep user data out of the hands of the Chinese government

TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement, “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access. The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing.”

In order to please concerned administration officials, ByteDance said that it would spend $1.5 billion to prevent personal data and content from U.S. TikTok users from falling into the clutches of the Chinese government. Under this plan, ByteDance’s U.S. operations would be walled off from the rest of the firm and all data would be held in the U.S. The plan would give U.S. company Oracle access to inspect ByteDance’s algorithms for U.S. inspectors.

In 2020, then President Donald Trump threatened to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless its operations in the states were sold to American-owned firms. In September of that year, Trump claimed to have a deal in place to sell the U.S. operations of TikTok to Walmart and Oracle, but that transaction never closed. TikTok went to court to block a federal ban. Trump also dropped the matter so that he could focus on the upcoming election.
The concern is that TikTok has been accused of keeping user data from U.S. subscribers and uses its in-app keyboard (on the iOS app) to record keystrokes. In addition, in China, the law requires Chinese companies to turn over customer data if requested. As a result, critics of TikTok in the U.S. say that this plan doesn’t go far enough since it doesn’t address the possibility that the Chinese government could demand that ByteDance turn over data collected from U.S. TikTok users.

Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, refused to say whether Biden would ban TikTok if the bill passes and gives the president the ability to block the app in the U.S. The White House did say that it had “concerns with this particular app.” Ms. Jean-Pierre added, “We want to make sure that the digital products and services Americans use every day are safe and secure.”

Bipartisan legislation could allow U.S. Commerce Department to ban troubling foreign technology

Any resolution of this issue could still be months away and TikTok chief executive, Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee next week to answer questions from lawmakers. The main focus will be on the security issues that have the Biden administration anxious to ban TikTok in the U.S.

Bipartisan legislation proposed by Senator Mark Warner (D., Va.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Senator John Thune (R., S.D.), the Senate Republican whip,

would require the Commerce Department to create a process to potentially ban troubling technology from foreign countries. In a statement, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, “This legislation would empower the United States government to prevent certain foreign governments from exploiting technology services operating in the United States in a way that poses risks to Americans’ sensitive data and our national security.”

Last month, in response to a question about TikTok by an interviewer, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, “Our intelligence community has been very clear about China’s efforts and intention to mold the use of this technology using data in a worldview that is completely inconsistent with our own.”


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