Overview

Title

To prohibit the Department of Defense from offering services through, or maintaining a business relationship with, Tutor.com.

ELI5 AI

The bill says that the U.S. military can't use a tutoring service called Tutor.com because a Chinese company owns it, and they are worried about keeping military members' information private.

Summary AI

S. 4029 seeks to stop the Department of Defense (DoD) from using or forming any business connections with Tutor.com due to concerns that its ownership by a Chinese company, Primavera Capital Group, could risk exposing U.S. military members' personal information to China's government. The bill mandates that the DoD discontinue services through Tutor.com within 30 days of the Act's enactment and avoid any future relationships with Tutor.com while it remains under current ownership. Congress's findings highlight the sensitive nature of data collected by Tutor.com and the potential national security implications.

Published

2024-03-21
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2024-03-21
Package ID: BILLS-118s4029is

Keywords AI

department of defense tutor.com primavera capital group national security data privacy chinese ownership military members ban chinese communist party access to u.s. military students act enforcement ambiguity alternative solutions

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
426
Pages:
3
Sentences:
14

Language

Nouns: 143
Verbs: 32
Adjectives: 13
Adverbs: 8
Numbers: 13
Entities: 47

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.48
Average Sentence Length:
30.43
Token Entropy:
4.78
Readability (ARI):
18.36

AnalysisAI

The bill titled "Ban Chinese Communist Party Access to U.S. Military Students Act of 2024" seeks to restrict the Department of Defense (DoD) from using services provided by Tutor.com. This legislative effort hinges on national security concerns arising from the acquisition of Tutor.com by Primavera Capital Group, a Chinese-owned corporation associated with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. Tutor.com offers educational services to U.S. Armed Forces members and their families, raising flags over data privacy and potential exposure of sensitive information to the Chinese government.

General Summary of the Bill

The proposed legislation mandates that the DoD discontinue any association with Tutor.com within 30 days of the bill's enactment. Furthermore, it prohibits future collaborations with Tutor.com or any firm owned or controlled by entities affiliated with the People's Republic of China. This stems from concerns that the Chinese government, through its national security laws, could compel companies like Primavera Capital Group to disclose user data, potentially threatening the privacy and security of military personnel.

Summary of Significant Issues

One of the primary issues highlighted is the national security implication due to the Chinese ownership of Tutor.com. The potential access to personal data of military members by the Chinese government is the central concern. Additionally, the bill does not articulate the repercussions for DoD non-compliance, introducing ambiguity into how the bill would be enforced. The legislation also lacks clarity regarding future ownership changes of Tutor.com and their impact on the prohibition. Moreover, the absence of alternative solutions raises questions about how educational services for military families will be managed moving forward.

Public Impact

Should this bill pass, the public, especially those associated with the U.S. military community, might experience direct changes. On the one hand, it aims to safeguard national security, presumably providing reassurance to military personnel and their families regarding their data privacy. On the other hand, the termination of DoD’s relationship with Tutor.com might temporarily disrupt the availability of tutoring services, suggesting a need for viable alternatives.

Impact on Stakeholders

For military families, the immediate consequence would be an end to Tutor.com services, potentially impacting educational support for service members' children. Although the bill’s focus is on data privacy and security, stakeholders might be concerned about the absence of ready alternatives. From Tutor.com's perspective, losing DoD as a client could be financially significant and might prompt broader scrutiny about global operations and data management practices.

In essence, the proposed legislation is a reflection of heightened vigilance regarding data privacy amidst geopolitical concerns. While it proposes a direct solution to perceived national security risks, it also introduces questions and potential challenges that stakeholders will need to address, emphasizing the complexity of maintaining balance between security and service continuity.

Issues

  • The section on the prohibition of Department of Defense usage of Tutor.com (Section 2) cites national security concerns tied to the ownership of Tutor.com by Primavera Capital Group, a Chinese-owned corporation. This issue is significant as it raises concerns about the potential exposure of private data of U.S. Armed Forces members to the Chinese government due to China's national security laws. This has political and national security implications.

  • Section 2 does not specify the consequences for non-compliance by the Department of Defense, which may lead to ambiguity in enforcement. This is legally significant, as it could affect how the bill is implemented and enforced.

  • The prohibition in Section 2 is tied explicitly to the ownership by Primavera Capital Group, but does not clarify how future changes in ownership of Tutor.com would affect the prohibition, creating potential legal ambiguity.

  • There is no mention of alternative solutions or options for similar services that do not pose the same risks, which is a concern highlighted in the findings of Section 2. This could have ethical implications regarding providing support to members of the Armed Forces and their families.

  • The language in subsection (b)(2) of Section 2 regarding 'any other relationship' is vague, potentially leading to various interpretations. This vagueness could have legal implications and affect clarity in the bill's execution.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of the bill gives it a short title: “Ban Chinese Communist Party Access to U.S. Military Students Act of 2024”.

2. Prohibition of Department of Defense usage of Tutor.com Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

Congress prohibits the Department of Defense from using Tutor.com for tutoring services because a Chinese-owned company bought it, which could risk exposing the private information of military members to the Chinese government. The Department must end all ties with Tutor.com within 30 days and cannot partner with it or any Chinese-owned entities in the future.