TikTok reiterated its concerns about freedom of speech once the House bill banned the social media platform in the U.S.
The House passed the legislation by a margin of 360-58 which pushed it further into the Senate for another round of voting.
(Photo : Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
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TikTok Advocates for Free Speech Amid Looming Ban
The popular social media platform has been under scrutiny for the following months due to its potential as a national security risk. The U.S. government is keen to ban TikTok in the country, citing its affiliation with China under its parent company ByteDance.
Over the voting, TikTok expressed its disappointment with the results from the House. "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.
Moreover, the company has been vocal in its criticism of the original bill, which was stalled in the Senate, due to its potential to "censor millions of Americans." Previously, Montana passed a state ban on the platform.
US Government Remains Firm on TikTok's National Security Risks
One of the primary concerns about TikTok's affiliation with ByteDance is the alleged sharing of data from its 170 million U.S. users. The company has claimed that it has never shared any data from the country and it would never do it.
On the other hand, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, argued that TikTok could act as a propaganda tool for the Chinese government. He also stated that young people tend to get their news from the platform.
The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, a free speech advocate group, explained that China and other U.S. rivals could easily purchase the data from brokers in the open market, even without TikTok. Other Democrats also expressed their free speech concerns.
ByteDance has six months to sell the U.S. assets of TikTok or face a ban.
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