US Bill Would Bar Google, Apple From Hosting Apps That Accept China’s Digital Yuan

Republican Senators want to bar U.S. app stores including Apple and Google from hosting apps that allow payments to be made with China’s digital currency, according to a copy of proposed legislation seen by Reuters, amid fears the payment system could allow Beijing to spy on Americans.

The bill to be unveiled on Thursday by Senators Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and Mike Braun states that companies that own or control app stores “shall not carry or support any app in [their] app store(s) within the United States that supports or enables transactions in e-CNY.” According to Cotton’s office, digital yuan could provide the Chinese government with “real-time visibility into all transactions on the network, posing privacy and security concerns for American persons who join this network.”