美国国家公共电台 NPR--Montana's governor signs a measure banning TikTok in his state

Montana's governor signs a measure banning TikTok in his state

Transcript¹

Montana has become the first state to completely ban TikTok. Gov. Greg Gianforte has said he is concerned about people's user data being compromised by the Chinese government.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Montana has become the first state to ban TikTok.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

It's seen as a test case as other states and Washington debate the future of the hit video sharing app. There are many questions, like how's the ban going to work? Is it even legal? On the app, Montana-based creators have started saying their goodbyes, promoting other social media platforms.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: I have my YouTube linked. And I'm also going to start an Instagram this summer.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: I am going to keep posting. I do have a YouTube account.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: See you. I'll be on YouTube.

MART?NEZ: NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn joins us now to discuss all of this. Bobby, can an app be banned in a state? I mean, how does that work?

BOBBY ALLYN, BYLINE²: Yeah. So supporters of the bill point to online gambling³. They say online gambling sites are blocked in states where it's illegal. It is possible to design a digital firewall, you know, something known as a geofence, to prohibit a site or app from being accessed within a state. And that's what Montana is trying to do here - right? - with stiff penalties. The law makes it illegal to download TikTok. And any entity⁴ that provides access to TikTok, like an app store, could be fined up to $10,000 a day for making TikTok available. Now, some experts say it's going to be pretty tough to enforce this ban. But, you know, they have some time to work out the kinks because the law doesn't go into effect until January.

MART?NEZ: But what got Montana to this place, banning TikTok?

ALLYN: Yeah, well, Montana and dozens of other states have shared a concern that many in Washington have with TikTok. And it's been described to me as the China problem, right? TikTok's parent company is ByteDance, which is based in Beijing. And state and federal officials fear that the Chinese government could request the data of millions of Americans and then use that data to try to influence the views of Americans or spy on U.S. citizens. So because of this fear, Montana and many other states banned TikTok on government-issued devices. We heard a lot about that. But what happened yesterday, the governor signing a bill outright⁵ banning TikTok within the state's borders, I mean, that, A, is so much more. It's a much more drastic step.

MART?NEZ: Yeah. Safe for me to say that TikTok will be fighting this?

ALLYN: Oh, yeah. It's widely expected that it will be in the courts soon. TikTok says the ban is an unconstitutional violation⁶ of Americans' free speech rights. And, you know, groups like the ACLU are backing TikTok's fight. The ACLU says the government can't impose a total ban on a social media platform unless there is an immediate⁷ harm to national security. And if TikTok and the ACLU are to be believed, you know, they say there just is not enough evidence to support the idea that TikTok is a threat to national security.

MART?NEZ: Well, what is the evidence that it would pose a threat?

ALLYN: Yeah, there isn't any direct evidence that the Chinese government has ever accessed TikTok user data. But critics of TikTok point to intelligence laws in China that allow the government kind of unfettered access to a company's customer records. On top of that, ByteDance has used its other social media apps in China to amplify⁸ and promote stories pushing the official Chinese government line. So there's a fear that they might do that with TikTok.

MART?NEZ: All right, so Montana banning TikTok. Has the Biden White House made any decision on TikTok?

ALLYN: Yeah. You know, the White House officials have threatened to ban TikTok nationally unless ByteDance finds an American buyer. But negotiations⁹ are kind of at a standstill right now. You know, TikTok, for its part, says it has a new data security plan that will keep Americans' data outside of the reach of Chinese authorities. But Biden officials are just not convinced. And, A, as these talks continue between the White House and TikTok, you can bet that White House officials will be watching to see how this Montana case plays out in federal courts.

MART?NEZ: We would never ban NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn. Bobby, talk again soon.

ALLYN: (Laughter) I hope not. Thanks, A.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

4 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

5 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

6 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 amplify   

vt.放大，增强；详述，详加解说

参考例句：

• The new manager wants to amplify the company.新经理想要扩大公司。
• Please amplify your remarks by giving us some examples.请举例详述你的话。

9 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。