WASHINGTON (April 22, 2024) – The House advanced efforts to potentially ban TikTok in the United States when it attached the bill as part of a broader package sending aid to Israel and Ukraine. The bill would force the company of the social media platform to be sold or face a national ban. The maneuver to attach the ban to the foreign aid package could expedite its path through Congress.
The bill's passage marks a significant escalation in the ongoing debate over TikTok's operations in the United States and underscores the challenges of addressing perceived security threats posed by Chinese-linked tech companies.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis on the TikTok Ban and the congressional process behind the proposed ban. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations [email protected].
Politics
Sarah Binder is a professor of political science. Binder's work focuses on the politics of legislative institutions, including their origins, development and impact on policy outcomes. Her areas of expertise include Congress, Legislative politics, American political economy, and political parties.
Casey Burgat, Legislative Affairs Program Director and Associate Professor at GW’s School of Political Management is an expert on Congressional capacity and reform. Burgat co-authored Congress Explained: Representation and Lawmaking in the First Branch and can speak to the legislative process behind getting stopgap legislation passed.
Data Governance
Susan Ariel Aaronson, research professor of international affairs, is the director of the GW Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub. She is also co-PI at the NSF Trustworthy AI Institute, TRAILS, at GW, where leads research on data and AI governance. At the Hub, Aaronson currently directs projects on governing data for generative AI, ensuring that data is globally accurate, complete, and representative and on AI protectionism. The Hub is the only organization in the world that maps the governance of public, proprietary and personal data at the domestic and international levels. Overall, Aaronson’s research focuses on AI governance, data governance, international trade, competitiveness in data-driven services such as XR and AI and digital trade. She has been following the proposed TikTok ban closely.
Cyber Security & National Security
Scott J. White is an associate professor and director of the GW Cybersecurity Program and Cyber Academy. He holds a Queen’s Commission and was an Officer with the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command. White was also an Officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. In 2010, White joined MONAD Security Audit Systems as an Associate Consultant. Dr. White has consulted with a variety of law enforcement agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. White’s expertise includes cybersecurity, cybercrime, counter-terrorism and infrastructure protection. He can discuss the cybersecurity and national security concerns of TikTok.
-GW-
