House E&C Republicans Seek Curbs on Biq Tech-China Ties

摘要

As part of the "Big Tech Accountability Platform" they announced earlier this year, Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R., Wash.), circulated a memo on June 16 outlining legislative and policy objectives to address concerns about privacy, human rights, and counterfeit goods they said are raised by large technology companies' interactions with the Chinese government."We must ensure Americans' information is protected from the [Chinese Communist Party (CCP)], and we expect American tech companies to do more to address the significant threat China poses to the U.S.," the lawmakers said in the memo.The memo adds a "third pillar" to the Republican committee members' larger platform that focused on "Big Tech Responsibility" and "Big Tech Power." That platform included four main principles: "1) increasing meaningful transparency; 2) enhancing oversight and accountability; 3) pushing for consistency and objectivity; and 4) exploring competition issues so innovation is unleashed, not quashed."Ms. McMorris Rodgers said the lawmakers want to "explore policy solutions and conduct oversight" on several issues, including how American information flows to China."Companies with deep ties to China raise significant concerns about China's access to American information," the memo said.