US Treasury Secretary – Forbes Says Twitter Must Follow Certain Standards

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday that Twitter must follow certain content standards, arguing that it is “not that different” from radio stations and broadcasters that are subject to similar rules.

Speaking at the New York Times Dealbook Summit in New York, Yellen said she believes there are legitimate national security concerns about TikTok, the Chinese-owned video-sharing app.

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Yellen declined to say whether the Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is reviewing Twitter following billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform and some calls for an investigation into Saudi Arabia’s stake in the company. .

He said the panel closely reviews acquisitions and investments in U.S. companies by foreign buyers that could pose national security risks.

“I’m not going to say specifically what we are and are not seeing,” Yellen said. “We don’t comment on ongoing work, but if there are such risks, it would be appropriate for CFIUS to look at it.

Musk on Monday accused Apple of threatening to block Twitter from its app store and said Apple would press Twitter on content censoring demands.

Yellen said she believes it’s appropriate for Apple and Google to require some content standards. “I think that’s a good thing when Apple looks at content. Most broadcasters are held to the standards of broadcasting to the public. Twitter is no different than any other broadcaster,” Yellen said.

Asked whether it was a good idea for such sites to moderate content, Yellen said. “I think it’s a form of regulation that’s necessary.”

TikTok

Regarding TikTok, FBI Director Chris Ray said the Chinese government raises national security concerns due to the risk of the Chinese government using the video-sharing app to infect users or control their devices, adding that Yellen believes there are “legitimate national security concerns.”

“It’s an ongoing case,” Yellen said.