WARNING: TikTok Will Be BANNED January 19th

#3 Sen. Rand Paul is trying to do something about it.

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However one feels about TikTok, the federal government banning it would be unprecedented state overreach. You might not like your kids using it, or perhaps are suspicious of its Chinese origins, or not like it for a variety of reasons, but still…

The idea that the government could just ban an entire social media platform defies the First Amendment.

It would be unprecedented.

https://youtu.be/BYoDKJ3FFqc?si=SZHiEyuaxNTboe_h

As the Supreme Court weighs the constitutionality of the looming TikTok ban, currently set to take effect on January 19th, a group of senators have offered a pre-emptive solution.

Can Congress Just Ban a Social Media Platform Used by Over 170 Million Americans?

Republican Senator Rand Paul, along with Democratic Senator and Ed Markey and Democrat Congressman Ro Khanna recently submitted a bipartisan amicus brief urging the Court to reverse the D.C. Circuit Court’s decision that upheld the ban.

The group argues that the ban is a violation of the First Amendment in that it prohibits the speech of the 170 million Americans who use the platform.

The two senators and congressman wrote, “The lawmakers remind the Supreme Court that the government is required to meet the highest standards when justifying restrictions on free speech. They emphasize that government cannot meet this requirement and highlight the chilling effect that the ban would have on millions of creators and users who rely on the platform for expression, education, and their livelihoods.”

The U.S. Government Behaving Like China’s Communist Government

Paul in particular has noted that if the American government bans TikTok, how would that action be any different than how China’s communist government operates?

Paul said in March, “TikTok is banned in China. We’re thinking – or people who want to ban it are thinking – Wow, we’re going to really defeat the Chinese communists, by becoming Chinese authoritarians and banning it in our country? TikTok is banned in China. So, we’re going to emulate the Chinese communists by banning it in our country?”

“It makes no sense whatsoever,” he added.

Not All Who Invest in TikTok’s Parent Company are Chinese

Sen. Paul has also noted that TikTok’s Chinese part company, ByteDance, has American investors.

That it’s not just some tool of Chinese communists, as critics have said repeatedly.

“We know that the Chinese government does demand things, but we don’t know that any information really is going from TikTok to any of these people in China.” Paul said.

To take an American’s property, you need to prove they committed a crime.

What crime has TikTok committed, and if it happened, where’s the proof?

This has not been discussed by those in both parties so eager for this ban.

Republicans Who Support this Ban are Being Hypocrites

As Republicans have criticized major social media platforms like Facebook and others for censoring users’ speech - or even bending to the federal government’s pressures to censor - why are they now so quick to completely prohibit a popular platform used by millions?

How bad does this make the GOP look, particularly to younger voters?

As Paul explained in an interview in June, “The Republican strategy to ban TikTok comes simultaneously with GOP complaints of domestic social media companies canceling and censoring conservatives.”

“Without a hint of irony, many of these same ‘conservatives’ rail against censorship, while advocating for censorship against social media apps they worry are influenced by the Chinese,” Paul said.

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It’s understandable to be worried about Chinese influence and other factors here.

But with a possible wholesale banning of an entire social media company, and with it, silencing the voices of its throngs of American users…

Maybe we should be worried about this federal government’s ever-growing “influence” too.