NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday stated social media firm Twitter ought to be held to sure requirements for content material, arguing that it’s “not that completely different” from radio stations and broadcasters topic to such guidelines.
Talking on the New York Instances Dealbook Summit in New York, Yellen additionally stated she believed that there have been official nationwide safety issues associated to TikTok, the Chinese language-owned video sharing app.
Yellen declined to say whether or not the Treasury-led Committee on Overseas Funding in america (CFIUS) was conducting a overview of Twitter after some requires a probe of a Saudi Arabian stake within the firm after billionaire Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform.
She stated CFIUS appears to be like carefully at acquisitions and investments in U.S. corporations by international patrons that would pose nationwide safety dangers.
“I am not going to say particularly what we’re or aren’t ,” Yellen stated. “We do not touch upon work that is in progress. But when there are such dangers, it might be applicable for CFIUS to take a look.”
Musk on Monday accused Apple of threatening to dam Twitter from its app retailer and stated Apple was pressuring Twitter over content material moderation calls for.
Yellen stated she believed it was applicable for cellular know-how giants Apple (AAPL.O) and Google (GOOGL.O) to demand sure content material requirements.
“I feel it is a good factor, if Apple is wanting on the content material. Most broadcast stations are subjected to requirements by way of what they broadcast to the general public. And Twitter’s not likely that completely different than different broadcast stations,” Yellen stated.
Requested if it was good that such platforms have been overseeing content material, Yellen stated. “It is a sort of management that I feel is required.”
Concerning TikTok, which U.S. FBI Director Chris Wray stated raises nationwide safety issues as a result of danger that the Chinese language authorities might harness the video-sharing app to affect customers or management their units, Yellen stated she additionally believed there have been “official nationwide safety issues.”
“That is one thing that is a case in progress,” Yellen added.
Reporting by David Lawder, Writing by Andrea Shalal, Enhancing by Franklin Paul and Andrea Ricci
: .