Introduction
Is a ban on TikTok in the U.S. inching closer to reality? We’re one step closer to a complete ban after what happened Wednesday. Plus Greg is here with this week’s Notice News Quiz.
All that and more today on… Notice News Daily.
Biden’s TikTok Ultimatum
Hey everyone, and happy Friday. I’m Jonathan here at Notice H-Q in Brooklyn. Our top story today: the U.S. has moved one step closer to completely banning TikTok.
On Wednesday, TikTok says the Biden Administration gave Byte Dance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, an ultimatum: either sell the company—or be banned from the U.S.
This marks a significant escalation from the president, as it’s the first time he’s threatened an outright TikTok ban.
Many Republicans and Democrats worry that TikTok’s algorithm and data collection poses a national security threat.
Late last year, TikTok admitted that its parent company used private app data to spy on U.S. journalists.
And earlier this year, the head of the F.B.I. said China could theoretically use TikTok to push out misinformation—without anybody realizing it.
Wray: We’re not sure that we would see many of the outward signs of it happening if it was happening.
Last week… The White House backed new legislation that would fully grant the president the power to ban TikTok and other foreign-owned tech over national security concerns.
These fears have already led to TikTok bans on state-owned devices like phones and laptops by governments around the world, including the U.S., Canada, and most recently, the United Kingdom.
Former President Trump tried to enact a TikTok ban for all of America, but it was blocked by the courts.
It’s not clear what the Biden administration’s next move might be, but experts say a ban would likely face significant legal challenges.
Headlines
Here’s what else is making news right now…
This just-released footage shows the moment a Russian fighter jet intercepted an American surveillance drone over the Black Sea.
The U.S. says Russia is behaving irresponsibly in international airspace, while Russia blames the U.S. for escalating tensions.
One of the largest banks in the world, Credit Suisse, was just loaned 54 billion dollars from Switzerland’s central bank in order to avoid a crisis.
This comes just days after Silicon Valley Bank in the United States collapsed. And…
There’s a new most popular dog breed in the U.S., French Bulldogs.
It’s the first time Labrador Retrievers haven’t been the most popular breed in three decades.
NOTICE News Quiz
And now, live on tape from Brooklyn, it’s time for the Notice News Quiz. I’m your host Greg, and this is the game where we ask, have you been paying attention this week? Let’s find out. Question one:
Last Friday, Silicon Valley Bank failed, causing the second biggest bank collapse in U.S. history. What caused Silicon Valley Bank to fail?
A) High interest rates
B) A lack of money
C) An overinvestment in government bonds
D) All of the above
The answer, D, all of the above. Silicon Valley Bank used customer deposits to invest in government bonds, which high interest rates have reduced in value.
Question two. On Tuesday, Russian jets forced a U.S. military drone to crash into international waters outside of Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine. Why has this drone crash worried the Pentagon?
A) Increased potential conflict between the U.S. and Russia
B) The drone contained top secret high-tech military equipment
C) The incident violated the U.N.’s new high seas treaty
D) Ukraine supporters intentionally sabotaged the drone
The answer, A. Experts fear a misunderstanding or incident like this could lead to dangerous escalations between the U.S, Russia, and Europe.
And finally, an environmental group said this earlier this week:
SOT: Biden can’t have his cake and eat it to when it comes to handling an existential crisis.
What did Biden do this week that upset environmentalists?
A) Canceled the post office’s electric car contract
B) Approved a plan more oil drilling in Alaska
C) Reduced solar power subsidies
D) Built more wind turbines in Hawaii
The answer, B. The Biden administration has given a giant oil company permission to open three drilling sites on federal land in Northern Alaska.
That’s all for this week. See you next Friday with another Notice News Quiz.
Conclusion
That’s it for today – but you can learn more about a potential TikTok ban on our website noticenews.com.
We’ll be back next week with more from us, Notice News.