Should Congress Ban TikTok?

Plus: Time for Fani to Pack

Should Congress Ban TikTok?

Fox Business reported that the House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday threatening to ban TikTok unless its Chinese owner sells within six months. Critics argue it mirrors Chinese and Iranian censorship justifications. Lawmakers claim foreign control of social media jeopardizes U.S. sovereignty. However, Reason noted that American government also pressures American tech firms for user data. The Biden administration has similarly leveraged “disinformation” to align social media with its policies. Matthew Petti of Reason wrote:

Competition is the strongest force keeping the internet free. Whenever users find a topic banned on TikTok, they can escape to Twitter or Instagram to discuss the censored content. And when Twitter or Instagram enforce politically motivated censorship on a different topic, users can continue that discussion on TikTok.

Forcing TikTok under American control is a way to block that escape route. Instead of protecting Americans from Chinese censorship, it would bring Chinese-style censorship home.

The bill is now headed for the Senate. Many agree TikTok (and too much social media time in general) is bad for kids. CCP ownership of a highly popular app may make it worse. Giving Congress and the President power to ban apps and websites is ultimately bad for Americans. Rep. Thomas Massie wrote, “The so-called TikTok ban is a trojan horse. The President will be given the power to ban WEB SITES, not just Apps. The person breaking the new law is deemed to be the U.S. (or offshore) INTERNET HOSTING SERVICE or App Store, not the ‘foreign adversary.’”

In comments on the floor, he explained why it is dangerous to give presidents the power to decide what websites Americans can view.

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