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Did you know that TikTok may be banned in the U.S. in January?
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is Chinese-owned, which is of significant concern to many lawmakers. The Chinese Communist Party can legally seize all of TikTok’s data. “All users of TikTok must understand that every click, location, and recording is used as intelligence that we have ample reason to believe is available to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Americans asked for Congress to take action against this intrusion by a top foreign adversary, and Congress acted,” Alabama Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall said in August 2024.
A few weeks later, Virginia Tech communications experts Megan Duncan, Jimmy Ivory, and Cayce Myers shared their opinion on how a ban on TikTok could set a precedent for free speech on social media. “The ban of TikTok is significant because of the First Amendment implications for both TikTok and its users,” said Myers. “TikTok argues that the forced divestment creates a double standard under the First Amendment for their platform, which ultimately violates free speech.” (POLL: Are You Confident in the Government’s Ability to Manage Economic Crises?)
Is This A Fair Assessment?
As the concerns over TikTok are more centered on the use of America’s data by CCP military and not the content shared on social media, it’s easy to become confused. Thankfully, a ban on TikTok doesn’t mean its users will be barred from their First Amendment right to free speech. As Americans, we’re able to utilize any other social media company that allows free speech to share our content. There are so many! (TAKE A POLL: Should Public Schools Have More Funding For School Choice Programs?)
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said in Oct. that allowing free speech on social media means “we lose control,” according to the New York Post. Clinton wants to end free speech on social media to protect children from something, though she didn’t specify what.
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