News
US Senate passes tech & manufacturing bill that takes on China
The US Senate has passed a bipartisan tech and manufacturing bill that will take on China
The legislation, intended to boost the county’s ability to compete with Chinese tech was passed on Tuesday. The Senate voted 68-32 to approve the sweeping package of legislation.
The measure authorises approximately $190 billion for provisions to strengthen US technology and research.
The legislation would also separately approve spending $54 billion to increase manufacturing and research into semiconductor chips and telecommunication equiptment.
Staff fold flags while US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 29, 2019. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
The next stages
The bill must now pass the House of Representatives in order to be sent to the White House for Biden to sign into law.
Currently, it is not clear what legislation in the House will look like or when it might take it up.
The bill has a number of other China-related provisions including prohibiting the social media app TikTok from being downloaded on government devices and would block the purchase of drones manufactured and sold by companies backed by the Chinese government.
It would also allow diplomats and Taiwanese military to display their flag and wear their uniforms while in the United States on official businesses.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, warned of the consequences of not funding research to keep up with China.
“If we do nothing, our days as the dominant superpower may be ending. We don’t mean to let those days end on our watch. We don’t mean to see America become a middling nation in this century,”
President’s Response:
President Joe Biden also praised the bill: “
We are in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off … We cannot risk falling behind.”
TikTok is tightening its regulations on influencers who promote weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.
With over 170 million users in the US, the app aims to prevent the spread of potentially harmful content related to rapid weight loss.
Starting in May, TikTok will prohibit influencers from posting “before-and-after” photos and restrict minors from accessing weight-loss content deemed risky. The crackdown extends to any content promoting drastic weight loss methods, aiming to combat the promotion of unrealistic body standards.
However, some influencers, like Dave Knapp and Kim Carlos, criticise the move, arguing it discriminates against those with health conditions. Others fear losing their income as TikTok takes down their content, prompting concerns about the platform’s future amid potential US bans.
As TikTok enforces stricter guidelines, influencers may seek alternative platforms to share weight-loss content. Despite the popularity of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, the crackdown reflects growing concerns about the impact of such promotions on user health.
The TikTok ban was just passed by the House. What could happen next?
TikTok implements stricter guidelines on weight-loss drug promotion
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