Worried About TikTok? The RESTRICT Act Is Not the Answer Americans Are Looking For¶
Privacy advocates have been calling for the United States to adopt strong consumer privacy protection laws along the lines of the EU's GDPR for a long time now, but the proposed Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act isn't the answer we're looking for.
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. (whitehouse.gov)
In reality, this act would grant the government broad powers to restrict access to any site or service they claim could pose a threat to national security, akin to China's "great firewall."
Currently, if you go on the internet and try and find out what the RESTRICT Act actually does, you'll find a lot of confusing and conflicting information. This is by design, not from a lack of analysis. Simply put, the RESTRICT Act has been interpreted in so many different ways because the wording is so broad that it can be interpreted in so many different ways. This is obviously a problematic form of government overreach.
