OWNER X, Elon Musk, expressed his opposition to banning TikTok in the United States. While that will likely reduce competition for its social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, as the initiative gains new bipartisan momentum in Congress.
The US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Saturday on a bill that would force TikTok to divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban.
The measure, which has vocal support from many Democrats and Republicans, has also been included in a major aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which might pave its way in both chambers of the US Congress.
“TikTok should not be banned in the US, even though a ban would probably benefit platform X,” Musk said in a post on the social network he acquired in 2022.
“To do so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression.”
A number of replies to Musk’s comments on X expressed concern that banning TikTok would create a precedent that might be used to target other social media platforms and messaging services.
Also read: China says TikTok has experienced injustice in the US
Under the law, ByteDance must sell the app within a few months or be excluded from Apple and Google app stores in the United States.
It would also give the US president the authority to designate other apps as threats to national security if they are controlled by countries deemed hostile.
TikTok criticized the law, saying it would hurt the US economy and undermine free speech.
Also read: US DPR Passes Bill to Ban TikTok
“Unfortunately, the House of Representatives is using the excuse of critical foreign and humanitarian aid to once once more push through ban legislation,” a company spokesperson said.
He added a ban would “trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, destroy 7 million businesses, and shut down platforms that contribute US$24 billion to the US economy every year.”
Western officials have raised concerns over TikTok’s popularity among young people, alleging that the platform is beholden to Beijing and has become a channel for spreading propaganda, claims denied by the company and Beijing.
Joe Biden repeated his concerns regarding TikTok during a call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in early April.
The US House of Representatives last month approved a similar bill clamping down on TikTok, but the measure stalled in the Senate. (AFP/Z-3)
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