The new order calls for a broader review of a number of foreign-controlled applications that could pose a security risk to Americans and their data.
President Biden on Wednesday revoked a Trump-era executive order that sought to ban the popular apps TikTok and WeChat and replaced it with one that calls for a broader review of a number of foreign-controlled applications that could pose a security risk to Americans and their data. The Trump order had not been carried out “in the soundest fashion,” Biden administration officials said in a call with reporters, adding that the new directive would establish “clear intelligible criteria” to evaluate national security risks posed by software applications connected to foreign governments, particularly China. Mr. Biden’s order reflects a growing urgency among American officials, both Republican and Democrat, to aggressively counter what they see as a growing threat posed by China’s military and technology sectors. In a rare show of bipartisanship, U.S. lawmakers have also sought to reduce America’s dependence on China for supply chain technology like semiconductors, rare minerals and other equipment. On Tuesday, the Senate approved a $250 billion spending package to bolster American technology research and development. The order is the first significant step Mr. Biden has taken to approach the saga between TikTok and the Trump administration, which tried to ban the app over national security concerns but was immediately challenged in federal court. Analysts said the new executive order was meant to create a process that could withstand such a challenge if the Biden administration chose to ratchet up pressure on individual apps. “It’s a bit of a troll to the Trump administration approach,” said Brian J. Fleming, a lawyer who focuses on national security and international trade matters, “which was exposed in court as being a bit of a hollow process that was completely outcome driven.” With Mr. Biden repeatedly emphasizing that growing Chinese influence has challenged not only the future of the American economy but democracy itself, his administration has worked to reassess or strengthen several directives Mr. Trump made to curb China. In several cases, the president has taken a more aggressive approach than his predecessor: Last week, Mr.
