on getting answers. recent problems with boeing jets have the flying public concerned about their safety. but is that worry warranted? and what can nervous fliers do to cope? a

bridesmaids beef after being asked to pay thousands of dollars with wedding season coming up, the do's and don'ts when it comes to etiquette. but first, the clock is ticking on tiktok in the us after the house voted today to ban the popular app. unless it separates from its chinese parent company. you're watching getting answers. i'm kristen sze. thanks for joining us. it could be tick, tick boom for the popular social app tiktok. today, the house of representatives approved a bipartisan bill to ban the app in the us. if its chinese parent company, bytedance, does not sell the unit to an american company. the move is aimed at addressing national security concerns and now goes to the senate for a vote. joining us live now to talk about the implications, doctor nolan higdon, professor of history and communication at cal state east bay. doctor, i was going to call you higdon. and thank you so much for joining us today. really appreciate your time. what prompted this, you know, i

think there's a weird, confluence of factors here that brought, the republicans and democrats to this decision in the house, you know, both parties have really been, hesitant to put any meaningful regulation on, big tech for about the last 30 or so years. but, you know, some interesting factors. i think have changed. one, the republican party has become very hawkish on china, and they see tiktok as an opportunity, to go after china and then the democrats, who, you know, owe a lot of their political success to the support and donors in silicon valley, they've grown quite frustrated with tiktok, i think, particularly in the, moment in which we had the war in gaza with israel. the democrats saw a lot of reduced support in polls, particularly around young people. and they seem to blame a lot of that on tiktok and the information on tiktok. and so i think that there's part of that motive is about, you know, politically, making themselves

in a better position to, to control the conversation on these topics. >> interesting. serves two political ends. there but you mentioned young people. are they the biggest tiktok user? talk to us about how big tiktok is in america. >> tiktok is huge, you know, around the world, you know, billions of people and here at home, millions of users are using tiktok, you know, they are disproportionately, younger, with the overall population and, younger people increasingly cite tiktok as the number one source for where they get their news, so for a lot of them, this is taking away a media platform that they use constantly for a multitude of purposes in their lives, not just getting news, but connecting with others, sharing information, expressing themselves, exploring their identity. so this is a very big deal for a lot of young users. >> okay. >> as a journalist, i worry a little bit about what you said about young people primarily relying on tiktok for news and information. but let me ask you,

what is washington's worry? what is the unique security risk that tiktok poses as well? >> this is where things get kind of interesting, because a lot of the critiques about tiktok, from a national security perspective, which is that they tiktok, you know, collects data, it stamps on privacy. it shares information, it tracks people. all those things are true about all of these big tech platforms, all the us social media companies, all the us search engines, all the us marketplaces like amazon, they all do these same practices. yeah. >> in fact, i remember that senate hearing when they were all dragged up there, all the ceos, including, you know, for meta, instagram, facebook, like they were all asked about this very thing about privacy, data, etc. >> absolutely. and so it's interesting that these two parties seem only concerned with you know, a chinese app, as they like to call it, being able to collect and analyze data, but

they don't seem concerned about how people's privacy is eroded in the exact same way by by us companies. and it's important to note that a lot of these, you know, so-called us companies that are housed here in silicon valley, their platforms operate around the world, and they work with governments around the world. so a lot of what they're doing resembles what tiktok is doing as well. >> so are you saying the ownership is not actually what determines how secure something is? >> yeah, it's a it's a poor metric for determining who who's getting access to data and who is sharing data. yeah, now, certainly, you know, if you own it in a particular nation like china, there are different government regulations on you and about sharing data. but collectively, people's privacy is consistently disrupted and ignored and invaded by these tech platforms, regardless of what country you sit in when you own them. >> okay, so break that down for us both for an individual, right? like what's at stake for you in terms of your data, your privacy, and what potentially bad thing could happen to you

versus the nation because of a nation of people using that very same app? >> yeah. excellent excellent question, you know, us as users basically, everything we do in digital and online spaces is collected and can and often is analyzed and shared, we don't know who it shared with necessarily, but i like to tell users, like, if you hear the word smart. smart usually is synonymous with surveillance. so if it's a smart phone, smart car, smart device, smart tv, it's collecting your data, so it's disrupting your privacy at that. at that point, there's a lot of, you know, vulnerabilities at a individual level, why people wouldn't want their, privacy disrupted. you know, for example, victims of stalking or people who are challenging those in power, may want, privacy, but but as a nation, you know, we may want privacy for a multitude of reasons. governments want privacy to conceal military and intelligence operations, you know, to, perhaps conceal where

they have the location of where they house, particularly sensitive items and people, so there's a necessity for privacy for both governments and people that can be disrupted by this digital environment. yeah but top secret stuff is not really, you know, relating to national security that doesn't get on tiktok, does it? >> i mean, it shouldn't it may not get on tiktok, but, again, it depends on, you know, what data is being collected and what data is, is being shared, as far as what how tiktok directly impacts national security, again, it could be a multitude of ways if, people give up sensitive information through tiktok and those people hold, say, important positions in government, you may end up in a situation where the information collected on them could be used against them to blackmail them for example. right, so there's ways like that where the tiktok platform is then connected to national security issues. >> all right. so let's say you do have a bad foreign actor, meaning to do harm to the us.

what are the ways they could use social media platforms to get in? and have we already seen that on facebook or, you know, any other american owned app? >> absolutely, all, you know, all nations at this point, more or less, have, have, a or take part. sorry, in a digital war, you know, an information war where they use the internet to try and shape other nations opinions or behaviors and attitudes toward what they want, so, you know, one thing you can simply do is, you know, spread information that exploits existing divisions, so for here in the united states, we have a, you know, long history of racism that dates back to the founding of the country, no foreign actor created that necessarily. but you could certainly create content online that exacerbates that division, that, you know, escalates, division and conflict on x, you know, formerly twitter, we've seen it on facebook.

>> so given that is the case, let's say you were writing this bill. doctor higdon, what would you want? what would you put in there? >> i you know, i would avoid bans i think, bans seems a way too totalitarian for a free country or a democracy. instead, i would think about things we can do to kind of decentralize some of that power. so i'd like to see these, you know, big tech firms, you know, broke up, so there's more competition and less centralized ownership, that would put the, you know, data being collected in, in, more people's hands, but less centralized, i'd also like to give users the right to be erased. i think we should have the right to have our data erased. i think we should have the right to know what data is collected and who it's shared with, and have the right to opt out, or alternative options. i think those would be more responsible ways to go about dealing with some of the threats posed by these tools. >> before i let you go, just one more question like this goes to the senate. if the senate approves and president biden signs it into law, what happens? right? we understand. okay,

well, if you don't sell, then you can't be downloaded here in the us. but what does that mean to folks who already have it, you know, do you see people rushing to download it now? would they still be able to use it, you know, there's a lot of, questions in the air. i think that's one of the frustrations with this bill. i mean, if it does pass, the owners of tiktok have an opportunity to sell it. and if they sell it, that means there's going to be new ownership and new ownership can be disruptive. you know, again, we saw this with, elon musk and twitter. the disruption there, but if they decide not to sell it, then there could be an outright ban. but then there develops all sorts of new legal questions. so if i try and skirt the ban by like using a vpn, for example, am i going to be held liable for that, is the vpn going to be held liable for that? like a lot of these questions, i think are going to emerge as this if this bill moves forward. >> interesting. all right. doctor nolan higdon at cal state east bay, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. >> thank you. coming up, conquering the fear of flying after a string of incidents with

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worry. federal investigators say boeing apparently doesn't know who worked on that door that was missing bolts and the plane was scheduled for maintenance right before the incident. well, that incident led to serious concerns about the safety of boeing jets in its continued after a week of incidents involving united last monday, flames shot out of an engine on a flight from texas to florida because bubble wrap got sucked into the engine. on thursday, a tire fell off a plane during takeoff from sfo.

on friday, two incidents a plane veered off a taxiway as it landed in houston. okay i'm just going to show you that there's the tire one at sfo. you remember that one. and here's the one where a plane veered off a taxiway as it landed in houston, ended up in the grass there, and a hydraulics failure forced a flight from sfo to make an emergency landing at lax. these incidents have triggered fear of flying for some and mild concern for others. but should we worry at all? joining us live to discuss that is jodi yarborough, board president of the nonprofit fear of flying. jodi, thanks for coming on the show. >> thank you for having me. >> hey, so what do you guys do at fear of flying? >> so we hold workshops and clinics where clients come and they learn about flying safety and aviation. a little bit of physics, a little bit of weather . and we have volunteer, clinical therapists and, you know, aviation experts who donate their time to present on

these topics. so we're very, very thankful for these folks. >> so have you gotten an increase in calls recently from people, you know, we're a small nonprofit, so we run just a few clinics and workshops a year, i can't say i'm seeing demand up right now. there's always kind of a demand for this work in that. but, you know, i admitting your fear of flying, some stigma associated with it. so by the time folks get to us, it has really become a problem in their personal or their work life. and they've tried to avoid flying, a lot. so by the time they get to us, it's kind of like, okay, i really need to do something. and they've already made a lot of stories and reasons in their mind why they shouldn't fly. so these stories they get, addressed in the press, while they may not help, they aren't really the catalyst i see. >> so there was something kind

of existent already there. right. and then hearing these stories, seeing videos of these incidents, it kind of fuels that. exactly. why do you suppose some people have that fear of flying? >> well, actually, i'm a former fearful flier myself, and what i can say is that, for some people , there's not one specific reason i never had a bad incident on a flight, but i created a scenario in my mind, because of the lack of information, knowledge and, you know, expertise that i learned in the clinic that i was just, you know, creating this doomsday situation. and after i learned, everything i have now in my toolbox, i know that a lot of those fear as well. they feel very real. they aren't very much grounded. >> in fact, can we just talk about grounding and facts and stats? just what are the stats with regard to safety and traveling by air versus other forms of transportation? >> yeah, i can't you know, i

don't want to cite a statistic, exactly. but i think it is safe to say that flying is the safest form of transportation, we often say in the clinic that you have a better chance of getting in a car accident on the way to the airport than something actually happening on your flight, we do obviously address some statistics in the program, but more from the perspective, like of, like when the pilot is talking, we ask, oh, how many times have you ever lost an engine or how many times has this ever happened for a career pilot who's been doing it for 20 or 30 years? and when they say never, it kind of brings it into a real world perspective. >> right. >> they're flying every day, maybe like 200 times a year and over 20 years. it's never okay that is reassuring to those of us who tend to think, oh, that one time it's going to happen to me. of course it would be me right, okay. so what are other techniques that you share in the workshop, whether it's physical or mental? >> yeah, we talk about we'll use a therapeutic approach called

cognitive behavior therapy. and without getting into the weeds, it just helps people break down the root of their fear and anxiety. and then we give a facts and, evidence and information to help combat some of those fears. so for some people, claustrophobia is an issue. for some people, it's fear of heights. for some people it is the engine noises and sounds. so helping them understand what those noises and sounds are help them say, okay, this really isn't something to be afraid of. it's just something to be maybe aware of and understand and for me, takeoff was a huge problem and when i understood the physics of takeoff. now i actually love takeoff. >> oh, yes. understanding the science and the physics. right. definitely helps. like, i have some fear myself. so it's like i have to remind myself the air is literally holding you up. okay? it's like i try to picture me being in a bowl of jello like the plane is. and even if it's moving around, you're still going to be fine. you're going

to be moving in there, are there other things that you would recommend? tricks, tips, mental visualizations, you know, you know, there are some people have routines, some people have little, comfort items, i think for people who truly have a fear of flying, you know, getting on the plane and having a successful flight, meaning they've completed the trip is huge. and we want to encourage anyone and everyone who has done that, that you know, great. that is a great first step. and then try to keep flying as much as possible, because part of it is, exposure therapy. right? you know, if we all had an airplane in our backyard, then this would probably be not as much of a phobia as it is. you're right. but the fact is, we don't. and so, yeah, just try to keep doing it once you start it up again. okay? i think we're out of time, but i just want to ask you quickly, where can people go for courses or resources? yeah, our website, fox .com, we're based here in the san francisco bay area. and we do have a workshop

coming up on april 6th. >> all right. jodie yarborough with fear of flying. thank you so much. really appreciate it. especially the information on your upcoming workshop. take care. >> thank you for having me. >> coming up next, wedding season do's and don'ts a bridesmaids sticker shock sparks debate on what's okay and what's definitely not okay. a

is igniting a viral conversation about wedding season etiquette. after saying yes to being in the wedding, the bridesmaid found out it was an $8,000 per person destination affair in scandinavia, made more expensive by the fact that the date was moved up. so that has the internet and us asking what are the do's and don'ts? joining us live now to answer that question and more is nick layton, etiquette expert and host of the hit podcast were you raised by wolves? hey, nick. >> hello. great to be here. and i think this bride may have been raised by wolves a little bit. i

was just going to ask you, you know, is it the bride or the bridesmaid? >> because, you know, the bridesmaid shared the story on reddit and she's kind of thinking about maybe lying to get out of it. oh my gosh, what do you think here? >> it's a bonkers story, and i think there's plenty of blame to go around for sure. but i think the big theme here is let's not lie. let's not lie to people about backing out. so i think as a baseline, i think we do need to be a little honest. but i do think it's important if you're having a wedding to have a wedding, that is the type of wedding that the people you want there can actually attend. and i think so often we work backwards. we start with the destination some far north boreal circle, scandinavian destination that we forget, oh, who can we cram in there rather than who are my friends, who i really want there on that special day? and what kind of event can they actually afford to attend and we really should just start with the guest list first and then work from there. >> that and this bride did not do that because ultimately it's about the people in your life, right, who you want i think so.

and then think about that's how i would do it. >> right? >> right. okay. but is there a general rule or not really on how much a bride or groom should expect their bridal party members to cough up for the festivities? >> well, i think we want to be mindful of our guests. so if $8,000 is not something you think your friends can afford, well then you have to be cool with them saying, i can't do it. i'm sorry i cannot attend your scandinavian wedding. and i think anytime you have a destination. yeah, you got to know that that's the deal. >> that's smart. okay. other wedding etiquette. you've given us some handy dandy tips, so i'm just going to throw them up there right now. maybe you could walk us through it. so a wedding invitation is neither an invoice nor a subpoena i like that, yes. >> so this is the famous dude at the martin quote, better known as miss manners. and it's true. you are not obligated to show up to everything you're invited to, including weddings. so if you can't go, don't want to go. you know, you could say no. yeah. all right, let's run down the rest of these. >> these are all great uh.

>> well, as we talked about, create your guest list first, then find the venue. got it. because it is ultimately who do you want there to share with. and if you have a very expensive wedding and half of your guest list can't go well, then that's sad. >> i think we cover the destination weddings. don't expect everyone to go as well, but what about this one? don't use your family and friends as props for photos. >> yeah, well, i think so often, especially with bridesmaids dress that happened to be all the same color and cut that are not flattering on everybody. you know, we pick sort of our friends as props in our photos, or we cast our friends to play a certain part uh- during this wedding. and we kind of forget what the point is, and it would be much nicer and everybody will have a much nicer time if you let people kind of wear something that they think is flattering, and you just trust that they'll use good judgment or, you know, like so often, like if a father is not in the picture, then the idea is the bride. well, there's no father to walk me down the aisle, so i can't have that uh. whereas like, oh, you could have someone else that's important to you

walk you down the aisle like it's not important to cast that role in a specific way. there's no etiquette rule about that. so i think people have very fixed ideas about how things have to be. and at the end of the day, miss the forest for the trees about what a wedding is about, which is about you're making a promise to someone in front of your community, and you want to be held accountable to that promise in front of the people that are important to you. and then you want to celebrate, okay. and that's to me, i think what should be okay. >> i have a couple questions with regard to gift giving to the bridal party. so i think you said you have a year to give, but not a year to thank. right. >> that's true. >> okay. so if you have a year to give, i don't know. >> yeah. well, i was going to say i don't know who started this rumor. it's a nasty rumor that you have a year to send a thank you note. what a bonkers concept. what a bonkers thing. this has never been the rule. i don't know who's spreading this, but, like, it's not a thing. okay but you got to send that note as soon as you get the gift. >> what about the rumor that if you didn't bring a gift or

didn't already send it, you can't take a bite of the cake. is that a thing? >> i have never heard that. okay, i mean, you should bring a you should. you should bring a gift. i mean, that is kind of a, you know, something that one does with weddings, but the idea is that you're not allowed to eat cake unless you brought a gift. like there's some quid pro quo. >> we dispelled that one. okay, okay. can a guest ask to bring a guest if they are single and they invite? did not explicitly say plus one, no. yeah. the names that are on the invitation are who's invited. so if it has specific names, then it's those people. if your kids are not listed, they're not invited. if it doesn't say and guest, then you do not bring an guest. yeah. that's the deal. >> okay. and don't ask either. puts the, you know, host in the uncomfortable situation. >> yeah. don't. yeah. if they have room they would have they would have offered us. >> nick layton were you raised by wolves. always great talking with you. i feel like i've better etiquette already. thank you. >> thank you so much. this was the treat. >> all right. take care. remember, abc7 news is streaming 24 seven. get the abc7 bay area app and

united way bay area is sponsoring this helpful opportunity. so get your questions answered by tax professionals by sending them in. now go to abc7 news.com. click seven on your side and you'll find the form right there . then watch on friday here on abc seven. thanks for watching. we'll see you back here tomorrow. bye bye tonight, breaking news. the house votes to ban tiktok here in the u.s. democrats and republicans. more than 170 million tiktok users here in the u.s. will the senate now follow suit? also tonight, word coming in, a young man, a student pilot on a passenger plane, trying to ge