Twitter ought to be held to sure requirements for content material By Reuters

By David Lawder

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday mentioned 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 mentioned she believed that there have been legit 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 International Funding in the USA (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 mentioned CFIUS appears carefully at acquisitions and investments in U.S. companies by overseas consumers that would pose nationwide safety dangers.

“I am not going to say particularly what we’re or aren’t ,” Yellen mentioned. “We do not touch upon work that is in progress. But when there are such dangers, it could be acceptable for CFIUS to take a look.”

Musk on Monday accused Apple (NASDAQ:) of threatening to dam Twitter from its app retailer and mentioned Apple was pressuring Twitter over content material moderation calls for.

Yellen mentioned she believed it was acceptable for cell know-how giants Apple and Google (NASDAQ:) 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 probably not that completely different than different broadcast stations,” Yellen mentioned.

Requested if it was good that such platforms had been overseeing content material, Yellen mentioned. “It is a type of management that I feel is required.”

Relating to TikTok, which U.S. FBI Director Chris Wray mentioned raises nationwide safety issues as a result of danger that the Chinese language authorities may harness the video-sharing app to affect customers or management their units, Yellen mentioned she additionally believed there have been “legit nationwide safety issues.”

“That is one thing that is a case in progress,” Yellen added.