What data is TikTok collecting? CEO testifies about Project Texas

WASHINGTON–What does TikTok do with your personal data?

That question was at the heart of an intense House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Thursday, when lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew for more than four hours – at times saying the app should be banned because of national security concerns.

Both Democrats and Republicans have been increasingly concerned over the app's parent company, ByteDance, due to its ties to the Chinese government. Much of the hearing Thursday focused on TikTok's handling of private user data and security practices.

Chew's testimony came as multiple congressional committees have been looking into potential economic and national security threats posed by China.

Here’s a breakdown from the marathon hearing, during which Chew tried to convince a skeptical Congress the app poses no danger to national security:

TikTok 'should be banned,' McMorris Rodgers tells CEO

Chew dodged questions about what the app does with users’ data, its ties to China and the ways the platform prevents harmful content for children.

Committee members grew frustrated as Chew repeatedly avoided clear yes or no answers to their inquiries.

“I think quite frankly your testimony has raised more questions for me than answers,” Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., told Chew.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the committee, said there is little that can change her mind on the app.

“TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation,” said McMorris Rodgers. “Your platform should be banned.”

Stay in the conversation on politics:Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

Pallone asks Chew whether TikTok sells data

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, pressed Chew on whether the company makes revenue by selling user data.

“You say you’re benign, you want to do good things for the public, so let me ask you.” Pallone said. “What about a commitment that says you won’t sell the data that you collect. Would you commit to that? Not selling the data you collect?”

Chew told Pallone that the company does not sell data to “any data broker.”

But Pallone asked again, clarifying that he was asking whether TikTok sold data to “anyone,” possibly alluding to the Chinese government. “I didn’t ask about data brokers. Do you sell it to anyone?” Pallone said.

Chew said he “can get back to” Pallone and the committee on the details.

What is Project Texas?

Throughout the hearing, Chew has told lawmakers that the app is taking steps to protect user data through its security proposal, “Project Texas.”

The plan would store U.S. user data on American soil and would be done in coordination with Texas-based computer technology corporation Oracle. The plan includes an entirely U.S.-based security team that would have access to the data and also allow the U.S. government to regularly monitor the operation.

“Project Texas” would, TikTok hopes, instill confidence in U.S. officials that TikTok operates independently of the Chinese government, but lawmakers in the hearing have appeared largely skeptical of the plan.

TikTok legacy data to be deleted

Chew said there is legacy U.S. TikTok data in servers in Virginia and Singapore.

“We are deleting those and we expect that to be complete this year,” he said.

After this data is deleted, Chew said all protected U.S. data will be under the protection of U.S. law.

“This eliminates the concern that some of you have shared with me that TikTok user data can be subject to Chinese law,” he said.

The potential security and privacy concerns raised about TIkTok are not unique to the platform, Chew said, adding that the same issues apply to other companies.

“We believe what is needed are clear and transparent rules that apply broadly to all tech companies,” he said.

Tick-tock, TikTok: As Biden sets deadline for ban of social media app, here's what we know

Chew rejects proposal for Chinese owners to sell stakes in TikTok

One potential solution that the White House is pushing for is demanding TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell its stakes in the app. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., asked Chew if the platform would be prepared to divest if the situation arises.

“Would TikTok be prepared to divest from ByteDance and Chinese communist party ties if the Department of Treasury instructed you all to do so?” Soto asked.

Chew disavowed the proposal, arguing that he does not think “ownership is the issue here,” pointing to other social media companies that have improperly managed its data, such as Facebook and its relationship with now-defunct political firm Cambridge Analytica.

CEO dodges questions on TikTok

Chew has been hesitant to provide clear yes or no answers to lawmakers’ questions throughout the hearing.

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., asked Chew if he would oppose legislation that would ban intentionally manipulative design techniques to trick users to provide personal information. She also asked if TikTok users can opt out of targeted ads. Both questions did not receive a clear response from Chew.

“I think quite frankly your testimony has raised more questions for me than answers,” Blunt Rochester said.

Chew pressed on TikTok's Spanish content

Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., asked Chew about how the app could effectively moderate Spanish content that violates the app's community guidelines, such as disinformation and violent content if it could not flag the earlier apparent threat to Rep. Catherine McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., played to the committee.

“So I guess I’m a little concerned if your team doesn’t have the resources and capabilities to flag that, what kind of capability does it have to bring down misinformation, disinformation, for Spanish speakers?”

Chew affirmed the platform's commitment to moderating inappropriate content, but did not provide specifics on the app’s strategy on taking down violating content, saying that it values its “Spanish language user base.”

“So you don’t have an answer then,” replied Barragán.

Violent TikTok video quickly taken down after played before committee

A TikTok video that showed an apparent violent threat against the chair of the committee, Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., was taken down during the hearing after Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., played it publicly to the committee. The video, Cammack claims, was up for more than 40 days.

Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., asked Chew why the video was only taken down after it was played before the committee, to which Chew responded that it highlights how difficult it is to effectively moderate violent content on the app.

“It goes to show the enormous challenge that we have to make sure that although the vast majority of users come for a good experience, we need to make sure that bad actors don’t post violent content,” Chew said, adding that his company is still investing into moderation practices.

TikTok CEO 'not sure' if app content harmful to children

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said research shows TikTok is the most addictive platform out there and attributed this to its advanced algorithm.

“There are those on this committee including myself who believe that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in psychological warfare through TikTok to deliberately influence U.S. children,” he said.

Carter pressed Chew if China’s TikTok platform has challenges with content that could be harmful to children.

Chew responded with “I’m not sure.”

A US TikTok ban is gaining support in Congress: Why some say that would hurt free speech.

Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., asked Chew about TikTok’s terms of service which do not allow for the depiction, promotion or trade of drug or other controlled substance. But Guthrie said content related to illicit drugs like fentanyl, drug trafficking and other illicit activity is pervasive on the platform, referencing the Benadryl challenge that left one American teenager dead.

“TikTok does not allow illegal drugs,” Chew responded.

He explained that there are 40,000 people as well as machines looking to detect keywords or content with illicit drug trafficking.

More:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes

Chew: TikTok ‘a place where teenagers come to learn’

As TikTok has grown, Chew said they the company has tried to learn lessons from other social media companies when it comes to teenagers.

“We spend a lot of time adopting measures to protect teenagers,” he said. “Many of these measures are firsts for the social media industry -- we forbid direct messaging for people under 16 and we have a 60-minute watch time by default for those under 18.”

Chew said TikTok wants to be a place “where teenagers come to learn.”

TikTok announces 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18: What to know

Chew: ‘Misconceptions’ about Chinese company ByteDance

Chew said there are misconceptions about the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, explaining that the company is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and is a private company.

According to Chew, ByteDance has five board members, three of which are American. He said TikTok has been addressing national security concerns with “real action.”

“That’s what we’ve been doing for the last two years-- building what amounts to a firewall that seals out protected U.S. user data from unauthorized foreign access,” he said.

U.S. calls for TikTok owners to sell stakes in company

The issue came to a head last week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their stakes or face a possible ban.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, a federal task force that considers national security risks in cross-border business investments, made the demand, according to TikTok.

“Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok. Now, this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you,” Chew said in a video Tuesday before the hearing.

What would happen if the US banned TikTok?

If the United States bans TikTok, it may remove it from the Apple and Google app stores. That would prevent users from getting updates and new users from signing up.

Americans could still install TikTok on their phones by “sideloading” it or they could access TikTok via browsers, according to Bruce Schneier, lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of "A Hacker's Mind."

The U.S. also might ban U.S. companies from doing business with TikTok, which would cut it off from the infrastructure needed to run the app. That would also hit TikTok’s advertising business.

Contributing: Jessica Guynn

More:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before Congress as it floats a ...

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is testifying before Congress in defense of the popular social media app as momentum grows on Capitol Hill to outright ban the app over national security concerns.

Lawmakers have been growing increasingly concerned over the app's parent company, ByteDance, due to its ties to the Chinese government. Those lawmakers both Republicans and Democrats will grill Chew over the next four hours over the app's handling of private user data and security practices.

Chew is facing an uphill battle, as lawmakers have seemingly become more dug in and hostile to the app. U.S. officials have been sounding the alarms on the app as well, with FBI Director Christopher Wray testifying to Congress in early March that the app "screams out with national security concerns."

Here are the latest updates as Chew tries to convince a skeptical Congress that the app poses no danger to national security.

Stay in the conversation on politics:Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

Pallone asks Chew whether TikTok sells data

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, pressed Chew on whether the company makes revenue by selling user data.

“You say you’re benign, you want to do good things for the public, so let me ask you.” Pallone said. “What about a commitment that says you won’t sell the data that you collect. Would you commit to that? Not selling the data you collect?”

Chew told Pallone that the company does not sell data to “any data broker.”

But Pallone asked again, clarifying that he was asking whether TikTok sold data to “anyone,” possibly alluding to the Chinese government. “I didn’t ask about data brokers. Do you sell it to anyone?” Pallone said.

Chew said he “can get back to” Pallone and the committee on the details.

– Ken Tran

Chew rejects proposal for Chinese owners to sell stakes in TikTok

One potential solution that the White House is pushing for is demanding TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell its stakes in the app. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., asked Chew if the platform would be prepared to divest if the situation arises.

“Would TikTok be prepared to divest from ByteDance and Chinese communist party ties if the Department of Treasury instructed you all to do so?” Soto asked.

Chew disavowed the proposal, arguing that he does not think “ownership is the issue here,” pointing to other social media companies that have improperly managed its data, such as Facebook and its relationship with now-defunct political firm Cambridge Analytica.

–Ken Tran

Chew dodges lawmakers’ questions

Chew has been hesitant to provide clear yes or no answers to lawmakers’ questions throughout the hearing.

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., asked Chew if he would oppose legislation that would ban intentionally manipulative design techniques to trick users to provide personal information. She also asked if TikTok users can opt out of targeted ads. Both questions did not receive a clear response from Chew.

“I think quite frankly your testimony has raised more questions for me than answers,” Blunt Rochester said.

- Rachel Looker

Chew pressed on TikTok's non-English content moderation

Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., asked Chew about how the app could effectively moderate Spanish content that violates the app's community guidelines, such as disinformation and violent content if it could not flag the earlier apparent threat to Rep. Catherine McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., played to the committee.

“So I guess I’m a little concerned if your team doesn’t have the resources and capabilities to flag that, what kind of capability does it have to bring down misinformation, disinformation, for Spanish speakers?”

Chew affirmed the platform's commitment to moderating inappropriate content, but did not provide specifics on the app’s strategy on taking down violating content, saying that it values its “Spanish language user base.”

“So you don’t have an answer then,” replied Barragán.

– Ken Tran

Rep. Obernolte concerned over foreign influence in TikTok algorithms

Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said he is concerned that TikTok’s algorithms remain free from foreign influence.

The California representative questioned Chew on how engineers at Oracle will protect these algorithms.

“This gets very technical... It’s mainly based on interest signals,” Chew responded.

- Rachel Looker

What is Project Texas?

Throughout the hearing, Chew has told lawmakers that the app is taking steps to protect user data through its security proposal, “Project Texas.”

The plan would store U.S. user data on American soil and would be done in coordination with Texas-based computer technology corporation Oracle. The plan includes an entirely U.S.-based security team that would have access to the data and also allow the U.S. government to regularly monitor the operation.

“Project Texas” would, TikTok hopes, instill confidence in U.S. officials that TikTok operates independently of the Chinese government, but lawmakers in the hearing have appeared largely skeptical of the plan.

–Ken Tran

Violent TikTok video quickly taken down after played before committee

A TikTok video that showed an apparent violent threat against the chair of the committee, Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., was taken down during the hearing after Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., played it publicly to the committee. The video, Cammack claims, was up for more than 40 days.

Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., asked Chew why the video was only taken down after it was played before the committee, to which Chew responded that it highlights how difficult it is to effectively moderate violent content on the app.

“It goes to show the enormous challenge that we have to make sure that although the vast majority of users come for a good experience, we need to make sure that bad actors don’t post violent content,” Chew said, adding that his company is still investing into moderation practices.

– Ken Tran

Rep. Carter: Chinese Communist Party engaged in ‘psychological warfare’ through TikTok

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said research shows TikTok is the most addictive platform out there and attributed this to its advanced algorithm.

“There are those on this committee including myself who believe that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in psychological warfare through TikTok to deliberately influence U.S. children,” he said.

Carter pressed Chew if China’s TikTok platform has challenges with content that could be harmful to children. Chew responded with “I’m not sure.”

- Rachel Looker

A US TikTok ban is gaining support in Congress: Why some say that would hurt free speech.

Rep. Guthrie: TikTok content related to illicit drugs ‘pervasive’

Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., asked Chew about TikTok’s terms of service which do not allow for the depiction, promotion or trade of drug or other controlled substance. But Guthrie said content related to illicit drugs like fentanyl, drug trafficking and other illicit activity is pervasive on the platform , referencing the Benadryl challenge that left one American teenager dead.

“TikTok does not allow illegal drugs,” Chew responded.

He explained that there are 40,000 people as well as machines looking to detect keywords or content with illicit drug trafficking.

- Rachel Looker

Sarbanes: Children on TikTok can ‘pretty easily bypass’ preventive safety measures

While the focus of the hearing is on TikTok’s handling of sensitive user data and its ties to China, some lawmakers have also raised concern about the app's risks for children.

Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., noted the app’s addictive dangers for children, saying “addictive impulses are being sort of perfected by the technology” and asked whether the app is taking measures to protect children.

Chew said that the app blocks certain features for users under certain ages, such as preventing users under the age of 16 from going viral on the app and also preventing users under 18 from live streaming on the app.

But Sarbanes pointed out that children can “pretty easily bypass” those preventive measures

– Ken Tran

More:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes

TikTok moves toward storing all data on U.S. soil

Chew said TikTok’s headquarters are located in Los Angeles and Singapore. He said the platform is not available in mainland China.

The CEO referenced Project Texas, an initiative launched by the company to ensure TikTok data is stored on American soil. The initiative is overseen by Oracle, a computer technology corporation in Texas.

Chew said data is stored in Oracle servers. Only vetted personnel operating on a newly formed team company called TikTok U.S. Data Security can control access to the data, he said.

- Rachel Looker

TikTok legacy data to be deleted

Chew said there is legacy U.S. TikTok data in servers in Virginia and Singapore.

“We are deleting those and we expect that to be complete this year,” he said.

After this data is deleted, Chew said all protected U.S. data will be under the protection of U.S. law.

“This eliminates the concern that some of you have shared with me that TikTok user data can be subject to Chinese law,” he said.

- Rachel Looker

Tick-tock, TikTok: As Biden sets deadline for ban of social media app, here's what we know

McMorris Rodgers: ‘Your platform should be banned’

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, kicked off the hearing with an opening statement that signaled there is little that can change her mind on the app.

“TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation,” said McMorris Rodgers. “Your platform should be banned.”

– Ken Tran

CEO: TikTok is not unique tech company

The potential security and privacy concerns raised about TIkTok are not unique to the platform, Chew said, adding that the same issues apply to other companies.

“We believe what is needed are clear and transparent rules that apply broadly to all tech companies,” he said.

- Rachel Looker

TikTok CEO Chew promises transparency and protection

Chew made the following four commitments to lawmakers:

Keep safety for teenagers a top priority

Firewall protect U.S. data from unwanted foreign access

TikTok will remain a place for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government

TikTok will be transparent and will give access to third party independent monitors to remain accountable to their commitments

- Rachel Looker

Chew defends TikTok through domestic security plan: ‘Project Texas’

As lawmakers continue to grill Chew over the app’s handling of private user data and whether the Chinese government could access it, the TikTok CEO has defended the app through the company's proposed data security plan, “Project Texas.”

The plan, Chew says, would store data on “American soil” and quell national security concerns by having a U.S. based security team control access to the data and also have the U.S. government monitor the data.

But the plan doesn’t appear to be any convincing to lawmakers.

“I still believe that the Beijing Communist government will still control and have the ability to influence what you do,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “This idea, this ‘Project Texas’ is simply not acceptable.’”

– Ken Tran

Chew: TikTok ‘a place where teenagers come to learn’

As TikTok has grown, Chew said they the company has tried to learn lessons from other social media companies when it comes to teenagers.

“We spend a lot of time adopting measures to protect teenagers,” he said. “Many of these measures are firsts for the social media industry -- we forbid direct messaging for people under 16 and we have a 60-minute watch time by default for those under 18.”

Chew said TikTok wants to be a place “where teenagers come to learn.”

- Rachel Looker

TikTok announces 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18: What to know

Chew: ‘Misconceptions’ about Chinese company ByteDance

Chew said there are misconceptions about the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, explaining that the company is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and is a private company.

According to Chew, ByteDance has five board members, three of which are American. He said TikTok has been addressing national security concerns with “real action.”

“That’s what we’ve been doing for the last two years-- building what amounts to a firewall that seals out protected U.S. user data from unauthorized foreign access,” he said.

- Rachel Looker

TikTok CEO in for 'tough fight' in Congress

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday morning, his first appearance before a Congressional committee. Chew is expected to make the case to the American people that selling TikTok to a U.S. company would not address national security concerns.

The U.S. worries that TikTok could be pressured into handing over U.S. user data to the Chinese government or that it could be used as a propaganda machine to manipulate Americans. TikTok says it protects U.S. users by storing their personal data outside China and says it does not share information with Beijing.

“I’ll be testifying before Congress this week to share all that we’re doing to protect Americans using the app,” Chew said.

- Jessica Guynn

Is TikTok getting banned? CEO in for 'tough fight' defending Chinese ownership on Capitol Hill

U.S. calls for TikTok owners to sell stakes in company

The issue came to a head last week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their stakes or face a possible ban.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, a federal task force that considers national security risks in cross-border business investments, made the demand, according to TikTok.

“Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok. Now, this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you,” Chew said in a video Tuesday before the hearing.

- Jessica Guynn

What would happen if the US banned TikTok?

If the United States bans TikTok, it may remove it from the Apple and Google app stores. That would prevent users from getting updates and new users from signing up.

Americans could still install TikTok on their phones by “sideloading” it or they could access TikTok via browsers, according to Bruce Schneier, lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of "A Hacker's Mind."

The U.S. also might ban U.S. companies from doing business with TikTok, which would cut it off from the infrastructure needed to run the app. That would also hit TikTok’s advertising business.

- Jessica Guynn

More:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes

Alejandro Mayorkas: Homeland Security secretary says he's not ...

CNN —

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas maintained he will stay at the helm of the department amid intense scrutiny from Republican lawmakers who have criticized his handling of the US-Mexico border.

While control of the House remains undecided, Republicans have already singled out Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security among the targets of their investigations if they seize the majority. Tuesday’s hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee offered a preview.

“Have you had a conversation with anyone in the administration about stepping down from your current role?” asked Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas.

“I have not,” Mayorkas responded.

“I hope, for the sake of the safety of the American people, that that conversation happens very soon,” LaTurner said.

Over the course of the hearing, Mayorkas maintained that the border is “secure” and batted down criticism that it’s “open” as Republicans have claimed, saying that the Biden administration continues to implement a Trump-era pandemic restriction that allows for the swift expulsion of migrants.

“It’s a very serious challenge,” Mayorkas said, stressing that it’s a “challenge that is not specific or exclusive to our southern border. This is a challenge that exists throughout the hemisphere.”

The top Republican on the panel, John Katko of New York, focused on the increased number of migrants at the US-Mexico border. “In the first two years of the Biden administration, we have seen a disturbing trend become a catastrophic humanitarian crisis at the border,” he said.

Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana also foreshadowed the next term, telling Mayorkas: “We look forward to seeing you in January.”

The US Border Patrol made over 2.2 million arrests in fiscal year 2022 for unlawful crossings on the US-Mexico border, the highest annual number of apprehensions on record, amid mass migration in the Western hemisphere. Over a million of those encountered at the border have also been turned back to Mexico or their home countries.

US border crossings also increased slightly last month compared to September, according to newly released US Customs and Border Protection data, though authorities saw a drop in Venezuelan migrants crossing unlawfully.

The hearing came on the heels of the resignation of US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus, who had been asked to resign by Mayorkas last week.

Magnus had been criticized internally for being out of touch with the agency and publicly for the handling of the US-Mexico border. During his tenure, officials also told CNN they believed Magnus seemed disengaged and wasn’t joining some internal meetings at a critical time for the agency. CBP Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller is now serving as the acting commissioner.

Threats facing the US ‘have never been greater or more complex’

The hearing also touched on international terrorism, domestic terrorism, cyber threats, and election security. FBI Director Christopher Wray and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid testified alongside Mayorkas.

Mayorkas stressed the “evolving terrorism threat” that now includes “lone actors fueled by a wide range of violent extremist ideologies and grievances, including domestic violent extremists.”

“From cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure to increasing destabilizing efforts by hostile nation states, the threats facing the homeland have never been greater or more complex,” he said.

Mayorkas also cited efforts by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea as “hostile nations” targeting infrastructure through cyberattacks.

There were only a handful of documented cyberattacks aimed at election-related infrastructure on Election Day, but nothing that kept people from casting their vote, according to US officials. But foreign influence activity – the use of social media or other means to sway voters – is harder to measure.

But Jen Easterly, the head of US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has expressed concern over foreign operatives using the days and week between Election Day and when votes are certified – including the leadup to next month’s Senate runoff in Georgia – to further amplify disinformation about voting and sow discord among Americans.

Meanwhile, terrorism threats to the US have shifted over the years, with officials more and more concerned about lone actors inspired by ideologies online rather than foreign-directed and planned attacks. Mayorkas said Tuesday that it “continues to be our assessment” that domestic violent extremism poses the most lethal and persistent terrorism related threat to the United States.

“Domestic violent extremism, particularly through lone actors or small groups loosely affiliated, are spurred to violence by ideologies of hate, anti-government sentiments, personal grievances, and other narratives propagated on online platforms,” he said.

Wray echoed those concerns, saying that going back to the summer of 2019, there has been an increase in domestic violent extremism. The FBI is concerned about the lethality, especially of racially motivated violent extremists, as well as the spike that started in 2020, of anti-government and anti-authority violent extremism, Wray said.

Wray also said that there’s been a trend over the last “several years” of people turning to violence to manifest frustrations.

“That’s a very dangerous trend,” he said when asked by Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a New Jersey Democrat, how officials are assessing threats against public figures given the recent attack against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

Mayorkas noted how that trend also applies to law enforcement. “This year has seen the greatest number of ambushes against law enforcement officers,” Mayorkas said.

This story has been updated with additional details.

Priscilla Alvarez Geneva Sands
Priscilla Alvarez
Geneva Sands

TikTok won't commit to stopping US data flows to China | CNN ...

CNN Business —

TikTok repeatedly declined to commit to US lawmakers on Wednesday that the short-form video app will cut off flows of US user data to China, instead promising that the outcome of its negotiations with the US government “will satisfy all national security concerns.”

Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, TikTok Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Pappas first sparred with Sen. Rob Portman over details of TikTok’s corporate structure before being confronted — twice — with a specific request.

“Will TikTok commit to cutting off all data and data flows to China, China-based TikTok employees, ByteDance employees, or any other party in China that might have the capability to access information on US users?” Portman asked.

The question reflects bipartisan concerns in Washington about the possibility that US user data could find its way to the Chinese government and be used to undermine US interests, thanks to a national security law in that country that compels companies located there to cooperate with data requests. US officials have expressed fears that China could use Americans’ personal information to identify useful potential agents or intelligence targets, or to inform future mis- or disinformation campaigns.

TikTok does not operate in China, Pappas said, though it does have an office in China. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, whose founder is Chinese and has offices in China.

US concerns about TikTok were renewed after a BuzzFeed News report in June, based on leaked meeting audio, said ByteDance employees had accessed US user data on multiple occasions. In a subsequent letter to lawmakers, TikTok acknowledged the ability for China-based individuals to access US user data but highlighted cybersecurity controls that were “overseen by our US-based security team.”

Pappas affirmed in Wednesday’s hearing that the company has said, on record, that its Chinese employees do have access to US user data. She also reiterated that TikTok has said it would “under no circumstances … give that data to China” and denied that TikTok is in any way influenced by China. However, she avoided saying whether ByteDance would keep US user data from the Chinese government or whether ByteDance may be influenced by China.

Asked by Portman on Wednesday to respond to the BuzzFeed article again, Pappas said, “those allegations were not found,” without identifying a specific allegation. She then added: “There was talk [in the article] of a master account, which does not exist at our company.”

The BuzzFeed article mentions a “Beijing-based engineer as a ‘Master Admin’ who has ‘access to everything,’” but is ambiguous about whether that engineer is a ByteDance or TikTok employee.

“Again, we take this incredibly seriously in terms of upholding trust with US citizens and ensuring the safety of US user data,” Pappas said. “As it relates to access and controls, we are going to be going above and beyond in leading initiative efforts with our partner, Oracle, and also to the satisfaction of the US government through our work with [the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States], which we do hope to share more information on.”

Portman then pressed Pappas again to commit to “cutting off all data and metadata flows to China,” but Pappas simply vowed that “our final agreement with the US government will satisfy all national security concerns.”

Later, Pappas testified to Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley that the entire contents of the BuzzFeed article were false.

“We disagree with the categorization in that article wholeheartedly,” she said.

TikTok previously said it has moved its US user data to cloud servers managed by Oracle, from servers that TikTok controlled in Virginia and Singapore, and that it would eventually delete backups of US user data from those proprietary servers. It is also in ongoing talks with CFIUS, a US government body composed of multiple agencies with national security jurisdiction, about its future handling of US data.

TikTok may push potentially harmful content to teens within minutes ...

CNN —

TikTok may surface potentially harmful content related to suicide and eating disorders to teenagers within minutes of them creating an account, a new study suggests, likely adding to growing scrutiny of the app’s impact on its youngest users.

In a report published Wednesday, the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that it can take less than three minutes after signing up for a TikTok account to see content related to suicide and about five more minutes to find a community promoting eating disorder content.

The researchers said they set up eight new accounts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia at TikTok’s minimum user age of 13. These accounts briefly paused on and liked content about body image and mental health. The CCDH said the app recommended videos about body image and mental health about every 39 seconds within a 30-minute period.

The report comes as state and federal lawmakers seek ways to crack down on TikTok over privacy and security concerns, as well as determining whether the app is appropriate for teens. It also comes more than a year after executives from social media platforms, TikTok included, faced tough questions from lawmakers during a series of congressional hearings over how their platforms can direct younger users – particularly teenage girls – to harmful content, damaging their mental health and body image.

After those hearings, which followed disclosures from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen about Instagram’s impact on teens, the companies vowed to change. But the latest findings from the CCDH suggest more work may still need to be done.

“The results are every parent’s nightmare: young people’s feeds are bombarded with harmful, harrowing content that can have a significant cumulative impact on their understanding of the world around them, and their physical and mental health,” Imran Ahmed, CEO of the CCDH, said in the report.

A TikTok spokesperson pushed back on the study, saying it is an inaccurate depiction of the viewing experience on the platform for varying reasons, including the small sample size, the limited 30-minute window for testing, and the way the accounts scrolled past a series of unrelated topics to look for other content.

“This activity and resulting experience does not reflect genuine behavior or viewing experiences of real people,” the TikTok spokesperson told CNN. “We regularly consult with health experts, remove violations of our policies, and provide access to supportive resources for anyone in need. We’re mindful that triggering content is unique to each individual and remain focused on fostering a safe and comfortable space for everyone, including people who choose to share their recovery journeys or educate others on these important topics.”

The spokesperson said the CCDH does not distinguish between positive and negative videos on given topics, adding that people often share empowering stories about eating disorder recovery.

TikTok said it continues to roll out new safeguards for its users, including ways to filter out mature or “potentially problematic” videos. In July, it added a “maturity score” to videos detected as potentially containing mature or complex themes as well as a feature to help people decide how much time they want to spend on TikTok videos, set regular screen time breaks, and provide a dashboard that details the number of times they opened the app. TikTok also offers a handful of parental controls.

This isn’t the first time social media algorithms have been tested. In October 2021, US Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s staff registered an Instagram account as a 13-year-old girl and proceeded to follow some dieting and pro-eating disorder accounts (the latter of which are supposed to be banned by Instagram). Instagram’s algorithm soon began almost exclusively recommending the young teenage account should follow more and more extreme dieting accounts, the senator told CNN at the time.

(After CNN sent a sample from this list of five accounts to Instagram for comment, the company removed them, saying they all broke Instagram’s policies against encouraging eating disorders.)

TikTok said it does not allow content depicting, promoting, normalizing, or glorifying activities that could lead to suicide or self-harm. Of the videos removed for violating its policies on suicide and self-harm content from April to June of this year, 93.4% were removed at zero views, 91.5% were removed within 24 hours of being posted and 97.1% were removed before any reports, according to the company.

The spokesperson told CNN when someone searches for banned words or phrases such as #selfharm, they will not see any results and will instead be redirected to local support resources.

Still, the CCDH says more needs to be done to restrict specific content on TikTok and bolster protections for young users.

“This report underscores the urgent need for reform of online spaces,” said the CCDH’s Ahmed. “Without oversight, TikTok’s opaque platform will continue to profit by serving its users – children as young as 13, remember – increasingly intense and distressing content without checks, resources or support.”

Zuckerberg appears before Congress: Facebook's Libra currency ...

Marcy Gordon, Barbara Ortutay and Ken Sweet

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg endured hours of prickly questioning from lawmakers Wednesday as he defended the company's new globally ambitious project to create a digital currency while also dealing with widening scrutiny from U.S. regulators.

Representatives also grilled Zuckerberg on Facebook's track record on civil rights, hate speech, privacy and misinformation – not surprising given the litany of scandals Facebook has been dealing with over the past two years.

The House Financial Services Committee's immediate focus was Facebook's plans for the currency, to be called Libra. Zuckerberg took pains to reassure lawmakers that his company won't move forward with Libra without explicit approval from all U.S. financial regulators.

Still, many members of the panel appeared unconvinced.

Rep. Maxine Waters, the California Democrat who chairs the panel, said the Libra project and the digital wallet that would be used with it, Calibra, "raise many concerns relating to privacy, trading risks, discrimination ... national security, monetary policy and the stability of the global financial system."

Furthermore, Waters told Zuckerberg, "You have opened up a discussion about whether Facebook should be broken up."

The social media giant has sparked public and official anger at every turn, from its alleged anticompetitive behavior to its shift into messaging services that allow encrypted conversations, to its refusal to take down phony political ads or doctored videos.

The breakup specter – the worst-case scenario for Facebook and other tech behemoths – has been raised by prominent politicians , notably Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading Democratic presidential candidate.

The Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee and attorneys general in several states are all conducting investigations of Facebook and other tech giants amid accusations that they abuse their market power to crush competition.

Zuckerberg was on the defensive at the hearing, his first testimony to Congress since April 2018, parrying criticism but also acknowledging lapses. He conceded at one point that the Libra project is "risky," acknowledging several high-profile companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal had signed on as partners in the currency's governing association but have recently bailed.

Under continued criticism of Facebook's handling of hate speech and potential incitements to violence on its site, he said, "We're not perfect. We make a lot of mistakes."

Trust was a central theme of the hearing. Given Facebook's history, "why should Congress, regulators and the public trust you to create what amounts to the world's largest bank, what really amounts to a shadow sovereign government?" asked Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.

Key takeaways:Ukraine diplomat Bill Taylor's 'explosive' opening statement

E-skimming:Hackers hover near online shopping carts, too

Responded Zuckerberg: "Well, congresswoman, we are not creating a bank. We are helping an organization create a payment system."

Zuckerberg held up China as a strong reason for encouraging innovation as embodied in the Libra project.

"While we debate these issues, the rest of the world isn't waiting," he said. "China is moving quickly to launch similar ideas in the coming months."

Facebook also has cited competition from China as a compelling argument against breaking up the company.

Zuckerberg's China statements found a ready echo from some Republicans on the committee, such as Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who stepped up to defend the Libra project and urge lawmakers not to put "innovation on trial."

But Democrats, in a rare tilt, allied themselves with President Donald Trump and his Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who have publicly criticized the Libra plan. Mnuchin and other regulators, including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, have warned that the digital currency could be used for illicit activity such as money laundering or drug trafficking.

Zuckerberg touted his optimistic vision of Libra and what it could mean for people around the world who don't have access to bank accounts.

The rise of 'ghost kitchens':Here's what the online food ordering boom has produced

A bulk of the hearing also focused on Facebook's record on diversity and civil rights. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, lambasted Zuckerberg over his company's track record on both.

Demanding yes or no answers, Beatty asked Zuckerberg, for instance, how many of Facebook's stable of big law firms are minority or woman-owned or how many women or minority partners work on the company's cases.

She told Zuckerberg Facebook works with civil rights groups only because of "the number of lawsuits you've had."

A subdued-looking Zuckerberg didn't get in much in the way of answers. Beatty finished by calling Facebook's conduct " appalling and disgusting" and told Zuckerberg that "you have ruined the lives of many people, discriminated against them."

People paid much more for gas in California last year:The governor wants an investigation

'It’s just too much':Meet the millionaires and billionaires who want a wealth tax

As the world courts TSMC, Taiwan worries about losing its 'silicon ...

Hong Kong CNN —

Semiconductor giant TSMC was feted this week by US President Joe Biden and Apple CEO Tim Cook during a ceremony to unveil its $40 billion manufacturing site in Arizona — a huge investment designed to help secure America’s supply of the most advanced chips.

But back home in Taiwan, there is deep unease over the growing political and commercial pressure being applied to the world’s most important chipmaker to expand internationally. The company is building a facility in Japan and considering investing in Europe.

“They’re like the Hope Diamond of semiconductors. Everybody wants them,” said G. Dan Hutcheson, vice chair of TechInsights, a research organization specializing in chips. (The Hope Diamond is the world’s largest blue diamond, which now resides at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington.)

“Customers in China want them to build there. Customers in the US want them there. And customers in Europe want them there too,” he added.

Apart from the risk that TSMC will take its most advanced technology with it — stripping Taiwan of one of its unique assets and reducing employment opportunities locally — there are fears that a diminished presence for the company could expose Taipei to greater pressure from Beijing, which has vowed to take control of the self-ruled island, by force if necessary.

TSMC is considered a national treasure in Taiwan and supplies tech giants including Apple (AAPL) and Qualcomm (QCOM). It mass produces the most advanced semiconductors in the world, components that are vital to the smooth running of everything from smartphones to washing machines.

The company is perceived as being so valuable to the global economy, as well as to China — which claims Taiwan as its own territory despite having never controlled it — that it is sometimes even referred to as forming part of a “silicon shield” against a potential military invasion by Beijing. TSMC’s presence gives a strong incentive to the West to defend Taiwan against any attempt by China to take it by force.

“The idea is that if Taiwan became a powerhouse in semiconductors, then America would have to support and defend it,” said Hutcheson. “The strategy has been super successful.”

Secret deal?

A day before Tuesday’s Phoenix ceremony Chiu Chenyuan, a lawmaker with the opposition Taiwan People’s Party, grilled Foreign Minister Joseph Wu about whether there is a “secret deal” with the United States to disadvantage Taiwan’s chip industry.

Chiu claimed that the chip giant was under political pressure to move its operations and its most advanced technology to the US. He cited the transfer of 300 people, including TSMC engineers, to the Arizona plant. In response, Wu said there was no secret deal, nor was there any attempt to diminish the importance of Taiwan to TSMC.

Patrick Chen, the Taipei-based head of research at CL Securities Taiwan, said there was a common concern on the island about TSMC’s growing international importance, the pressure it is facing to expand, and what that means for Taiwan.

“It is similar to what happened in the US in the 70s and 80s when manufacturing jobs were being shifted away from the States into other countries. Many local jobs were lost and cities bankrupted,” he said.

CNN has asked TSMC for comment about its expansion plans.

Its CEO, CC Wei, had previously said: “Every region is important to TSMC,” adding that it would “continue to serve all the customers all over the world.”

Increasing importance

Founded in 1987 by Morris Chang, TSMC is not a household name outside Taiwan, even though it produces an estimated 90% of the world’s super-advanced computer chips.

Semiconductors are an indispensable part of just about every electronic device. They are difficult to make because of the high cost of development and the level of knowledge required, meaning much of the production is concentrated among a handful of suppliers.

Concerned about losing access to crucial chips, particularly as tension has escalated between China and the United States, as well as between Beijing and Taipei, governments and major consumer-facing companies like Apple have asked semiconductor companies to localize their operations, according to experts.

“TSMC’s decision to expand its Arizona investment is evidence that politics and geopolitical risks will play a bigger role than previously in supply chain decisions,” said Chris Miller, author of “Chip War: the Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology”.

“It also suggests that TSMC’s customers are asking for more geographic diversification, which is something that wasn’t previously a key concern of major customers.”

On Tuesday, TSMC said it was increasing its investment in the US by building a second semiconductor factory in Arizona and raising its total investment there from $12 billion to $40 billion.

Staying put

Chang had previously said its plant in Arizona would produce 3-nanometer chips, the company’s most advanced technology, as advances in chip manufacturing require etching ever-smaller transistors onto silicon wafers.

These announcements alarm politicians like Chiu of the Taiwan People’s Party’s. He frets about the island losing out as TSMC is courted globally.

Chen of CL Securities said national security concerns among governments globally are driving TSMC’s expansion. But he believes the company will continue to manufacture its most advanced technology at home.

“This would make economic sense given [the] lower salaries [and] higher quality of Taiwanese engineers,” he said, adding that the company needs the approval of the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs to move its most advanced technologies abroad, which it was unlikely to give.

Many experts believe that by the time 3-nanometer chips are being made in Arizona, TSMC’s Taiwan operations would be producing even smaller, more advanced chips.

Hutcheson also believes TSMC will keep its most cutting-edge development teams in Taiwan.

“Once you have a team of people doing development work, they work very closely together. You don’t want to disrupt that. It’s not an easy thing to do,” he said.

— CNN’s Wayne Chang contributed to this report.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene testifies for more than 3 hours in ...

Atlanta CNN —

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia testified under oath for three hours Friday at an unprecedented disqualification hearing that focused on whether she is constitutionally barred from holding office because of her role in the January 6 insurrection.

On the witness stand, Greene repeated debunked claims that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and even brought up false-flag conspiracy theories that the US Capitol was attacked by rogue FBI agents or racial justice activists who “dressed up as Trump supporters.”

Her testimony, during an extraordinary all-day hearing in Atlanta, makes Greene the first member of Congress to answer questions under oath about their activities related to January 6.

The candidacy challenge was initiated by a group of Georgia voters, who are working with a coalition of liberal activists and constitutional scholars. They face an uphill climb to remove Greene from the ballot, and the judge on Friday appeared skeptical of some of their arguments.

Their lawyers grilled Greene about her ties to the far-right provocateurs and extremist groups who fueled the carnage at the Capitol. But her testimony did not establish that she had been aware of plans for violence or that she had coordinated with any rioters – and she deflected many questions about her activities before January 6 by saying more than 50 times that she couldn’t remember.

“I was asking people to come for a peaceful march, which is what everyone is entitled to do under their First Amendment, but I was not asking them to actively engage in violence or any type of action,” Greene testified, pushing back on the assertion that she had aided the insurrection.

The case revolves around a Civil War-era provision of the 14th Amendment, which says any American official who takes an oath to uphold the Constitution is disqualified from holding any future office if they had “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” But how this applies today is a hotly debated legal question.

State Judge Charles Beaudrot, who presided over the all-day hearing, is expected to issue his recommendation within the next few weeks. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, will then take Beaudrot’s findings and decide whether to disqualify Greene from the May 17 primary.

The outcome in the case could have national implications, because liberal attorneys have said they will mount a similar challenge against Trump if he runs again for president in 2024.

Legal cat-and-mouse game

Without direct evidence linking Greene to any rioters, the challengers focused on her rhetoric and how her calls to action in the weeks before January 6 had potentially inspired the insurrection.

“She was one of several leaders who gathered the kindling, who created the conditions, who made it possible for there to be an explosion of violence at the Capitol on January 6. And then, she dropped the match,” Andrew Celli, lawyer for the challengers, said in his closing arguments. “Now, she comes into this courtroom and says she’s surprised and appalled that a fire burned.”

At times, the proceedings felt like a legalistic cat-and-mouse game, with the challengers trying to pin Greene down on her previous comments, including some that appeared to stoke violence.

She said she didn’t remember saying she opposed the peaceful transfer of power to President Joe Biden – right before lawyers for the challengers played a video of her saying just that. She denied calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a “traitor” who might deserve the death penalty, but backtracked and acknowledged the comment when the challengers started to play the footage.

Celli asked Greene if she had liked a Facebook post that said, “a bullet to the head would be a quicker way to remove” Pelosi. (CNN previously unearthed the liked post, and others where Greene indicated supported for executing prominent Democrats.)

“I have had many people manage my social media account over the years,” Greene replied, in reference to the threatening post about Pelosi from 2019. “I have no idea who liked that.”

She said she had never intended to promote violence on January 6 and that she didn’t recall any conversations with lawmakers or Trump officials about disrupting the Electoral College count.

“I only believe in peaceful demonstration,” Greene said. “I do not support violence.”

She also denied giving any tours of the Capitol complex before the attack, rejecting the still unproven allegation from some Democratic lawmakers that the rioters had insider assistance.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is seen testifying on Friday in Atlanta. Pool

Greene’s lawyer decries ‘show trial’

Greene entered the courtroom to rousing applause and cheers from supporters. A court security official swiftly chastised the crowd and the judge later warned that outbursts would not be tolerated. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican who has joined Greene at events in support of the January 6 defendants, sat with her legal team for most of the proceedings.

Her attorney, James Bopp Jr., called the hearing a “political show trial” and said the affair was a massive violation of her constitutional rights. When the challengers questioned Greene, Bopp repeatedly interrupted with objections – and the judge agreed on several key occasions, leading him to rein in the challengers and telling them at one point, “You are pushing the envelope.”

Bopp briefly questioned Greene on the witness stand, calling her a “victim” of January 6 and focusing on the fear she had felt while she was escorted to safety that day. She was on the House floor, objecting to Biden’s electoral votes from Arizona, when the mob breached the building.

“i was scared,” Greene testified, even though she later said that some of the rioters were patriots. “I was concerned. I was shocked. … I had no idea what was going on. … I did not want to see anyone get hurt. It was very upsetting. I was very upset.”

The hearing itself was something Greene had hoped to avoid. She had filed a federal lawsuit to shut down the state process – which is how GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn fended off a similar challenge in North Carolina. But in a blistering 75-page ruling on Monday, a federal judge rejected many of Greene’s legal arguments and cleared the way for Friday’s hearing.

The challenges against Greene and Cawthorn are backed by Free Speech for People, a legal advocacy group, and Our Revolution, a left-wing group founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. They are appealing the court ruling in North Carolina, which effectively killed their anti-Cawthorn efforts.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene enters the courtroom, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, Pool) John Bazemore/AP

What happens next?

The burden of proof is on the challengers to show by a “more likely than not” standard that January 6 was legally an insurrection and Greene actively aided the insurrectionists.

Beaudrot, the judge, said the legal questions at play were “deadly serious” and repeatedly tried to maintain some level of order during the circus-like hearing. Post-trial briefs are due next Thursday, and Beaudrot is expected to issue his recommendation sometime within the next few weeks.

The decision whether to disqualify Greene will be made by Raffensperger, who was infamously on the receiving end of a call where Trump pressured him to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s surprise victory in Georgia.

Georgia’s primary ballots are already being printed, so if Greene is disqualified, state officials will post notices at polling places announcing that she is not an eligible candidate and votes for her will not be counted. Greene can appeal a disqualification in state courts.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments Friday.

FBI lacks full picture of reported threats to election officials ...

CNN —

The FBI’s process for receiving reports of violent threats or harassment against election officials is not built to handle the volume of reports, leaving the Justice Department with an incomplete picture of the problem’s scope as the midterms approach, the executive director of a national election officials’ group told Congress on Wednesday.

“A common refrain I hear from my members is that nobody is going to take this seriously until something bad happens, and we are all braced for the worst,” Amy Cohen, the executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) said in written testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Some senior election officials have struggled to get security details from state police, Cohen will testify, in an environment that has only grown more tense amid false conspiracy theories about fraud in the 2020 presidential election. More broadly, election officials lack a clear definition of what constitutes a threat or harassment at the federal level, according to Cohen’s written remarks.

In a statement to CNN on Wednesday, the FBI said it has “Election Crime Coordinators positioned in each of our field offices across the country to engage directly with local and state officials about all election-related crimes, offer guidance, and share information about potential threats.”

“The FBI has seen a significant increase in threats of violence against election workers since our last national election, and we have been coordinating closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to address threats and intimidation against election officials, volunteers, and staff,” the statement continued.

The Justice Department last year set up a task force for investigating threats of violence and intimidation to election workers.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. told the Senate panel that the task force has provided election workers’ organizations with information on how the department decides to open a criminal investigation and has encouraged “broad reporting” of any threats the workers might receive.

Polite met virtually with about 750 election officials on Monday to give them an update on the task force, according to the Justice Department. The task force has reviewed over “1,000 contacts reported as hostile or harassing by the election community,” of which about 11% “met the threshold for a federal criminal investigation,” the department said.

Polite said Wednesday that the task force has received a single reported incident of physical violence against an election worker. The task force has brought criminal charges against five people, Polite said, and local officials in Colorado, Arizona and Michigan have each pursued a criminal case for threats against election workers.

“It is important to bear in mind that the vast majority of communications directed at election workers, offensive though they may be, will not constitute true threats subject to federal criminal prosecution due to the robust protections afforded to political speech by the First Amendment,” Polite’s written testimony said.

More than half of the potentially criminal threats were in battleground states where the 2020 results were challenged, such as Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, according to the Justice Department.

Election officials have more on their plate than ever in trying to tamp down disinformation about the voting process while keeping an eye on foreign hacking threats and threats of violence.

A classified briefing that US intelligence and national security officials held for election officials in April covered threats of violence based on conspiracy theories, a change in the threat landscape since 2020, CNN previously reported.

A Massachusetts man was arrested Friday after being indicted by a grand jury for allegedly making a bomb threat last year towards an election official in Arizona.

As a result of the threats and harassment to election officials, “NASED has heard from state election offices in which every employee now has a concealed carry license and actively carries a weapon,” Cohen’s testimony says.

“[W]e have heard from state election offices that have seen long-time employees abruptly give notice en masse with no jobs lined up, citing safety concerns; and we have heard from states that have lost 25 to 30 percent of their local election officials because those public servants no longer want to work in this environment,” Cohen will testify.

Tearful testimony as threats are discussed

Another witness on Wednesday, Kim Wyman – who leads election initiatives at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm – choked up during her testimony, telling lawmakers that a tape that was played detailing some of the threats had made her emotional.

“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of American democracy,” said Wyman, a Republican who previously was Washington’s secretary of state.

Wyman testified that she has overseen over 150 elections in her tenure at roles in Washington and CISA, and that she has “witnessed firsthand the challenges” election officials face.

Republicans on the committee, however, cast doubt on whether a Justice Department task force on election threats was really necessary, grilling Polite on whether the department’s resources would be better spent focusing on the demonstrators outside Supreme Court justices or threats to anti-abortion pregnancy crisis centers.

“The Department of Justice is not choosing what to convene task forces by levels of violence,” said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the committee. “They’re choosing a political message, I believe, and that will have a real consequence on the safety and lives of many Americans.”

Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican of Utah, asked Polite what measures the DOJ was taking to prevent its investigations into election worker threats from having “an undue effect on the chilling of First Amendment protected activity.”

Polite said that concern – one that requires the careful review of each allegation that is reported – is part of what makes the task force’s work “significant.”

Democrats defended the need to focus on threats against election workers.

“These threats are taking a disastrous toll on our democracy,” Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat of Illinois, said.

Building out resources

Federal officials have looked to strengthen physical and cybersecurity support for election administrators.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has 127 physical security specialists across the country who can assess election facilities for safety, and the agency plans to hire 15 more by the end of the year.

Yet funding and other resources are a long-term challenge for security of and administration of elections, according to experts.

The Justice Department clarified in January that a criminal justice grants program that gives states millions of dollars each year can be used to protect against physical threats against election workers.

A Justice Department spokesperson told CNN in June that the department division overseeing the grants had yet to report any use of funds to protect against threats of violence to election workers. CNN has requested an update to that data.

Polite said Wednesday that the DOJ office that runs the grant program, the Office of Justice Programs, conducted “several webinars for election stakeholders” on how to access grant funds, which could be used for protective security details and physical security enhancements to workplaces.

This story has been updated with additional details and developments.

Sean Lyngaas Hannah Rabinowitz Tierney Sneed

China Covid protests: Health officials defend zero-Covid policy but ...

CNN —

China’s top health officials have pledged to rectify Covid-19 control measures to reduce their impact on people’s lives, while deflecting blame for public frustration away from the policy itself, in their first press briefing since protests erupted against the government’s stringent zero-Covid policy over the weekend.

Lockdowns to suppress the spread of the virus should be lifted “as quickly as possible” following outbreaks, said health officials at a National Health Commission press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, as they defended the country’s overall policy direction – which aims to stamp out the spread of the virus through hefty controls.

Cheng Youquan, a director at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said “some issues” reported recently by the public are not due to the measures, but their application by local officials taking a “one-size-fits-all approach.” He said some controls had been implemented “excessively,” with disregard for the people’s demands.

Protests against the country’s zero-Covid policy, which includes a combination of lockdowns, forced quarantines and tight border controls, flared across China over the weekend, with citizens taking to city streets and college campuses to call for an end to the restrictive measures.

While protests in several parts of China appear to have largely dispersed peacefully over the weekend, some met a stronger response from authorities – and security has been tightened across cities with police deployed to key protest sites in the wake of the demonstrations.

Plan to boost elderly vaccination rates

Officials at Tuesday’s press briefing did not directly address the protests, but commission spokesperson Mi Feng said governments should “respond to and resolve the reasonable demands of the masses” in a timely manner.

When asked if the government is reconsidering its Covid policies, Mi said authorities “have been studying and adjusting our pandemic containment measures to protect the people’s interest to the largest extent and limit the impact on people as much as possible.”

Earlier this month, China announced 20 measures that were meant to streamline Covid-19 controls and reign in “excessive policy steps” taken by local authorities – who are under pressure from Beijing to control the number of cases in their regions.

The protests – and the pledges to refine the policy implementation – come as the country faces its most significant surge of cases.

China identified 38,421 locally transmitted cases on Monday, according to the National Health Commission, ending six consecutive days of record infections.

Low vaccination rates among the elderly have long been cited by authorities as a reason why China must maintain tight controls over the virus. On Tuesday, officials also announced an “action plan” to boost vaccination rates among this high-risk group.

Raising that rate is seen as necessary to eventually reopening the country and relaxing tough measures.

As of November 28, around 90% of China’s total population had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccination, but only roughly 66% of people over 80 had completed two doses, officials said Tuesday.

China defends Covid-19 measures

Reactions to the officials’ statements on Chinese social media suggested they had done little to assuage frustration and anger over the zero-Covid policy. On a state media livestream of the press conference, many users called for an end to Covid testing, lockdown and centralized quarantine.

“We’ve cooperated with you for three years, now it’s time to give our freedom back,” said one top comment on the livestream, which was run by state media on the Weibo social media platform.

“Can you stop filtering our comments? Listen to the people, the sky won’t fall,” wrote another, referring to censorship on the platform.

In a separate briefing on Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry defended the Covid-19 control measures and civil rights in the country – where authorities regularly use far-reaching surveillance and security capabilities to quash dissent.

“China is a country under the rule of law, Chinese citizens enjoy various legal rights and freedoms that are fully protected by law,” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, when asked about the protests in a regular briefing on Tuesday. “At the same time, any rights and freedoms should be exercised within the framework of the law.”

Asian shares rallied on Tuesday on signs that authorities had managed to contain protests, and then on hopes the health commission would announce an easing of Covid restrictions.

Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index ended the day more than 5% higher. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index and the Shenzhen Component Index both finished more than 2% higher, while the CSI300 Index, which tracks the largest listed stocks, closed more than 3% higher.

Simone Mccarthy Wayne Chang
Simone Mccarthy
Wayne Chang


What is Ramadan? Why do Muslim people fast for the holy month ...

Ramadan begins this week, a holy, month-long observance for Muslim communities in the United States and around the world.

Many Muslim people will observe Ramadan by fasting from sunup to sundown, praying together, holding communal meals and festivities and more.

Asma Sayeed, an associate professor of Islamic Studies at UCLA, explained that Ramadan is rooted in many practices, including to “invoke the remembrance of God for a continuous period" and “to celebrate and remember the revelation of the Qur'an as a gift to humanity.”

But when is Ramadan? Why do Muslims engage in fasting for Ramadan? Here’s what you need to know.

When is Ramadan?

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, begins on Wednesday, March 22 in the United States and continues through April 21, ending in the holiday Eid al-Fitr.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is a significant month for many Muslim people that involves prayer, fasting, spending time with family and friends and more.

“The simplest answer is that it's the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar,” Martyn Oliver, faculty chair of the American University Core, told USA TODAY. “The more specific sense is that it's one of the holiest celebratory months in Islamic practice.”

Muslims believe that, during the month of Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad was given the Qur'an, Islam’s holy book. It marked the first time that God revealed to Muhammed he was a prophet tasked with carrying God’s message.

Why do some Muslims fast?

One major practice of Ramadan is fasting from sunrise to sunset. Muslim people who have reached puberty are called on to fast, a practice of self-restraint intended to bring people closer to God.

“It is for Muslims to remember God, to strengthen their relationship with him through an act of piety and sacrifice,” Sayeed said. “Because it's tough. It's not easy to fast for a full month, and also to abstain from drink.”

Ramadan is also “for Muslims to engage in acts of charity by depriving themselves of food and drink,” Sayeed said.

“They remember what it is to face bodily and material deprivation,” she explained. “The idea is to sort of invite Muslims to be more charitable in that month and for the rest of the year because you’ve sort of experienced want yourself in very direct ways.”

Muslim people fasting during Ramadan do not eat food or drink liquids, but it can also “mean abstaining from sexual relationships or for smoking or for any other kind of pleasurable consumption,” Oliver said.

Muslim people break their fasts after an evening prayer with a meal called ifṭār. These meals are often communal events with friends and family. While foods at these meals can vary by community, one common choice is dates, a reference to the Prophet Muhammad eating dates to break his fast.

People who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating are often exempt from fasting, as well as older people, people with illnesses and others.

How else is Ramadan observed?

Some Muslim people will also do “an additional voluntary prayer” called Tarawih, Sayeed said.

“These are additional nightly prayers. Sometimes they're prayed in congregation, in a mosque, and one-thirtieth of the Qur'an is recited each night,” she said. “So the idea here is that by the end of Ramadan, that community or people who are praying will have read, recited the entire Qur'an in prayer. That’s a very high act of devotion. Many Muslims try to read through the Qur'an actually, during the month of Ramadan.”

The holiest night of Ramadan is Laylat al-Qadr, which takes place in the final 10 days of the month. It is referred to as the “Night of Power,” when the Angel Jibril revealed the Qur'an’s initial verses to the Prophet Muhammad.

Ramadan is also a time to give to charities, Oliver said.

“It's also the time when you do a lot of charitable giving. It's the season of giving to worthy causes or to organizations that support those who are without,” he said.

Should I say ‘Happy Ramadan?’

If you are not observing Ramadan but want to greet a coworker or friend who is, Sayeed said that you may want to say “Ramadan Mubarak” or “Ramadan Kareem”

“The first is just like sort of, congratulations for Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem is actually a really beautiful one. Kareem is a word connoting generosity and giving. The idea that even though you're experiencing a very high level of material deprivation, that Ramadan itself and these charitable acts during Ramadan that are heightened for Muslims evoke generosity and bounty,” she said.

Oliver said you may also want to “wish somebody an easy fast, which is a sort of a recognition that somebody who is participating in Ramadan is going to be hungry and tired during the day.”

What is Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr commemorates the end of Ramadan. It means “the feast of the breaking of the fast.”

Sayeed called it a “major annual holiday for Muslims,” when they “are advised to kind of wear their nicest clothes, go out in the morning for congregational prayer.”

Children may receive presents after prayers, and communities may come together for celebratory meals and fireworks.

“There's a sense of relief at having completed the fasting or maybe a sense of accomplishment, and also gratefulness for what one has,” Oliver said.

Contributing: Clare Mulroy, Maria Jimenez Moya; USA TODAY