The RESTRICTing Liberty Act

May 2023

  There has been plenty of talk lately about TikTok, its connection to the Chinese Communist Party, and what American politicians should do about it. Several states, and I believe federal agencies, have banned it from government owned devices, but is that enough? There are those who are calling for drastic actions to protect the American people from this software. Just like after 9/11 though, it appears those in government are ready to use a howitzer to take care of a flea.

   Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, along with a dozen others, has proposed the “Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act,” also known as the RESTRICT Act. It appears the American people have not learned from our rush to protect ourselves in 2001. Then the PATRIOT Act infringed on the rights of millions of patriotic Americans. Similarly, it appears that the RESTRICT Act is setting us up to further restrict our rights and liberties.

   Let’s start by making sure we understand a few points about this legislation. We’ll begin with some definitions.

   COVERED ENTITIES.—The entities described in this subparagraph are:

(i) a foreign adversary; 

(ii) an entity subject to the jurisdiction of, or organized under the laws of, a foreign adversary; and

(iii) a ...

Want to read more?

Subscribe today!

Learn how to email this article to others