TikTok’s possible ban in the United States was blocked by US Republican Senator Rand Paul on Wednesday. Senator Paul, as per Reuters, blocked the bid to fast-track the Chinese-owned social media app’s ban, citing concerns about free speech. He warned that people should “beware” of entities that “use fear to coax Americans to relinquish our liberties” and said that a ban on the app will imitate “Chinese speech bans.” Asking if the US is “going to be just like China”?, Paul alleged that such a bill would give the US President “limitless authority” to ban speech.
“If Republicans want to continuously lose elections for a generation they should pass this bill to ban TikTok — a social media app used by 150 million people, primarily young Americans,” said Paul on the Senate floor.
Watch | US: Legislation to address SECURITY WORRIES about TikTok
“Do we really want to emulate Chinese speech bans?… We’re going to be just like China and ban speech we’re afraid of?” he questioned.
Republican senator Rand Paul is just one among many; recently a growing number of conservatives and democrats have come out in opposition or have raised concerns about the RESTRICT Act. Free speech groups like the American Civil Liberties Union are also against the TikTok ban.
Those in opposition cite free speech and other issues and have objected to the legislation targeting TikTok as overly broad.
Former Republican Representative Justin Amash claims that the “RESTRICT Act isn’t about banning TikTok; it’s about controlling you. It gives broad powers to the executive branch, with few checks, and will be abused in every way you can imagine.”
Similarly, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a TikTok video posted on Friday opposed a TikTok ban, calling it “unprecedented” and said that Congress has not seen classified TikTok briefings. “It just doesn’t feel right to me,” she added.
The RESTRICT Act is the brain-child of a Democrat and a Republican. Senators Mark Warner, a Democrat, and John Thune, a Republican, have proposed the Act. The ban now has 22 Senate cosponsors. If enacted, it will give the US Commerce Department the authority to impose limits, and if needed, completely ban TikTok and other technologies that could in its opinion pose a security issue. Reuters reported that the new rule would be applicable to technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.
(With inputs from agencies)
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