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BumRushDaShow

(129,608 posts) Sun Apr 21, 2024, 06:21 PM Apr 21

TikTok says US House bill that could ban app would 'trample' free speech

Source: Reuters

April 21, 2024 4:37 PM EDT Updated 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - TikTok on Sunday repeated its free-speech concerns about a bill passed by the House of Representatives that would ban the popular social media app in the U.S. if Chinese owner ByteDance did not sell its stake within a year.

The House passed the legislation on Saturday by a margin of 360 to 58. It now moves to the Senate where it could be taken up for a vote in the coming days. President Joe Biden has previously said he would sign the legislation on TikTok.

Many U.S. lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties and the Biden administration say TikTok poses national security risks because China could compel the company to share the data of its 170 million U.S. users. The step to include TikTok in a broader foreign aid package may fast-track the timeline on a potential ban after an earlier separate bill stalled in the Senate.

"It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans," TikTok said in a statement. TikTok in February had criticized the original bill that ultimately stalled in the Senate, saying that it would "censor millions of Americans." It had similarly argued that a state ban on TikTok in Montana passed last year was a violation of the First Amendment.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/technology/tiktok-raises-free-speech-concerns-bill-passed-by-us-house-that-may-ban-app-2024-04-21/

3 replies

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TikTok says US House bill that could ban app would 'trample' free speech (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Apr 21 OP

Foreign corporations are people. Igel Apr 21 #1

Greatest propaganda data sucker ever WA-03 Democrat Apr 21 #2

Granted. If a sale is forced though, Mnuchin's group should be blocked at all costs. summer_in_TX Apr 22 #3

Igel

(35,362 posts)

1. Foreign corporations are people.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Sun Apr 21, 2024, 07:09 PM

Apr 21

Remember that.

It's not about speech. It's about corporate ownership and foreign control.

Imagine that it's not Tik-Tok, but Тик-ток. (Really, it's neither, but there's a nifty sounding English-friendly name for it. We never hear the name it's incorporated under. And why is that? Ahem.

It's a global version of 抖音.

Remember, the PCR and CCP PCR are our friends, and friends of democracy everywhere.

They've been caught doing some pretty bad, but thoroughly CCP PRC things.

We wouldn't allow a Putin-controlled or Putin-allied Tik-tok.

How is the PRC much better?

The rest is rhetoric.

WA-03 Democrat

(3,056 posts)

2. Greatest propaganda data sucker ever

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Sun Apr 21, 2024, 07:56 PM

Apr 21

Tik Tok in China shows a lot different stuff. Young children helping their elders and cat videos are about it. Not like here.

The timing is terrible but it is that big of a threat to our democracy. All of Google and Meta is banned in China. ChatGPT as well. No YouTube so it is not like they can access anywhere close to the range of the internet we see. They control and monitor the hell out of it. Every "citizen" has a social score. China is Black Mirror type stuff. 3 cameras for every person.

summer_in_TX

(2,759 posts)

3. Granted. If a sale is forced though, Mnuchin's group should be blocked at all costs.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Mon Apr 22, 2024, 01:23 AM

Apr 22

We do NOT need another amoral rightwing billionaire controlling any social media, much less such a popular one.

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