The central argument is this. “Whether the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (“the Act”), as applied to petitioners, violates the First Amendment.”
Congress enacted a law that effectively bans the social media app TikTok, or at the very least, forces the sale of the company to a non-foreign owned entity. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the First Amendment aspect. Biden signed the law that requires TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to divest from the app or face a ban on U.S. networks and app stores.
Mitch McConnell [SEE HERE] and Mike Pence [See Here] are asking the Supreme Court to support the law and support the forced sale or ban. However, President Trump is urging the Supreme Court to be very careful. [SEE HERE]
John Sauer, President Trump’s nominee to be solicitor general, has penned an amicus brief saying, “The power of a Western government to ban an entire social-media platform with more than 100 million users, at the very least, should be considered and exercised with the most extreme care—not reviewed on a ‘highly expedited basis.”
After initially supporting the ban on Tik Tok in 2020, President Trump changed his opinion and now contemplates whether a ban against the popular platform is in America’s best interest.
“Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikTok’s importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech. Indeed, President Trump and his rival both used TikTok to connect with voters during the recent Presidential election campaign, with President Trump doing so much more effectively. As this Court instructs, the First Amendment’s ‘constitutional guarantee has its fullest and most urgent application precisely to the conduct of campaigns for political office.’” (source)
Many people have wondered what changed President Trump’s mind, with some pointing to President Trump’s meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month. Additionally, Elon Musk and the Silicon Valley tech team, including JD Vance, are opposed to Tik Tok. However, the shift in Trump’s thinking since 2020 makes sense if you look at the timeline.
TikTok is a content and information platform that presents a significant issue from an American perspective. It is a Chinese platform available in the USA, but American platforms are banned in China. As a consequence, there is a particular conflict on geopolitical interests. Thus, in 2020 President Trump was against TikTok as an equity/fairness issue.
However, if most or all of the USA social media platforms are under the influence and control of government, which they are. And when President Trump became a victim from that influence and control, which he did. And when the only counterpoint for pushback against the Mis-Dis-Mal information scheme of the U.S. Govt., is to use an external platform to deliver information…. Then the relative issues in the platform discrimination argument take on a different context.
If you look at the timeline, after he was silenced by the U.S government’s influence in Big Tech, President Trump changed his position on Tik Tok.
If USG control the public conversation, and the overwhelming evidence is that they do; then you can argue the merit of allowing a foreign platform to exist as a domestic vehicle for information uncontrolled by the USG. This is also the essential argument that exists within communication platforms like Telegram; not coincidentally another platform targeted by the same USG.
TikTok may be garbage, I think it likely is. However, in the era where we have a documented history of our government controlling the content on social media platforms, I can make an argument that their lack of control within TikTok is really the bigger part of the USG opposition to it.
TikTok is also a target for the European Commission who recently blamed the platform for an election outcome in Romania that Brussels did not like.
[Read Trump Amicus Briefing Here]
I don’t really care about tic toc. But I can think of no finer place to attach the phrase “lacks standing” than to the sorry, self righteous hide of Mike Pence, a man completely devoid of shame, perspective, and decency.
And just one more thing, is there anyone who time has borne out better than Regitiger?
Anything with Pence and McConnell FOR SOMETHING you know it’s DEFINITELY AGAINST the American People.
AIPAC wants it banned so it probably should not be banned. A huge part of the push to ban it in the US was the unfiltered criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza. That pushed the Uniparty off the fence as surely their AIPAC guy/gal was in their ear immediately.
You have a very good point! Whatever AIPAC and Mitch McConnell want we should simply always do the opposite!
That got it over the top, but they’ve been trying to ban it for many years. Trump too for awhile. I’m against it simply because the govt has no right telling us what apps we can and can’t use.
Parents should be the only ‘censors’; like playboy was censored in my day. Yes the boys did get their peeks, but at the right age to use subterfuge to get the peek; in other words they were old enough. AND they weren’t abetted by a grownup. Kids learned from other kids.
Social justice warriors have abetted and brought children too young to the fight against censorship; Kindergarten and younger get a glimpse of things they shouldn’t see until they are older.
Put Tic Tok in the parents realm of censorship, they’ll see to the problem. Parents out for social justice will raise a crop of 60’s ‘free’ spirits.
God Help US
AND the world goes round.
The early sexualization of our youth is one of the most evil things perpetrated by those who follow Satan; whether they do so deliberately or because they are brainwashed by those who do follow him.
Did it allow unfiltered criticism of hammis and the horrific actions on Oct 7? and it’s everyday hiding behind civilians and children? and it’s stealing food and other aid?
To answer your question…..
Perhaps you should open a TIKTOK
account and find out what is being
posted regarding the subject?
And keep in mind that TIKTOK is just
one of many platforms.
Pence is irrelevant. Nobody listens to him.
The Turtle must have seen the expiration on his heel so he’s doing everything possible in what little time he has left to destroy MAGA and PDJT.
Just ban Tic Toc!
That’s not fair… I love watching that little mouse…
I’d like to ban the rat rhinos! They are more of a “threat to our democracy” than tik-tok will ever be!
Especially these two exquisite examples of the ROT that is in this GOP party!
sundance’s rare silences or delays on updating his opinion on a contentious issue is always compelling but probably wise until he’s certain on his viewpoint.
The government is way too big with a to many brats wanting their way. I’m so sick and tired of even giving any thought to all the egos trying pretending. I’m of the mind set to wait and see and not putting my hope in any one except Jesus.
Amen.
What a cluster.
Apparently, no one has heard of gab.com. It is a place where ALL lawful speech is allowed for everyone.
Gab is an American company. Gab was debanked like Melania, Barron, many others.
“After substantial pushback in the comment sections all over his own platform, Elon announced that the algorithm on X would be changing to combat this rising tide of dissent.”
https://news.gab.com/2024/12/the-h-1b-immigration-debate-a-clash-of-worlds-and-values/
Anything Pence and McConnell agree on…….Im not going to agree with!
Sundance captures my opinion exactly though I have never had a Tic Toc account. The national security argument is transparent BS.
Censorship should be banned; oxymoron or just a question of who has the right to ‘censorship.’
The only legal censors are Parents IMHO. AND that right has been usurped by ‘social justice warriors’ who think they represent ‘everyone’s’ real rights. They have taken it out of parents hands and installed it into theirs. I can only speak of the 60’s first hand and onward. The goal of the 60’s was with teens, now a days it’s gone much younger.
ALL social movements start out with ‘freedom and rights’ as it’s basis, THEN comes the broadening of the meanings and the outcropping of lawlessness. Every major ‘social movement’ leads to a big chunk of common sense being destroyed.
God Help US
H-1B/H-2B and TikTok are topics being promoted to discredit DJT, MAGA, and supporters. There will be more topics like this as we approach Jan 20.
China abuses TikTok for propaganda, censorship, surveillance and subversion.
The TikTok Bill, however, simply seeks to transfer it to American Owners so they will succumb to American propaganda, censorship, surveillance and subversion.
Tweedledee/Tweedledum.
“TikTok may be garbage,” but I believe it helped President Trump get elected.
Pence is so obviously a tool that he ought to be retired by the Obama crew.
If JudasPence and ChynaMitch are against…I’m persuaded to align w tiktok…
GenZ uses it and many small businesses.
If our USG can’t controll it, isn’t that a good thing?
Maybe Musk can buy it
Dear Mr. Musk,
you purchased Twitter, you did not purchase MAGA. Sorry to be a bother.
They don’t control TikTok so they want it cancelled. It’s that simple.
And Mike Pence….I was wondering when that sleeze would ooze out from under his rock.
They’re mostly just afraid of additional sunlight outlining their long-standing corruption.
If it was about morality being corrupted, Congress would have stopped the wild parties & chicanery some time ago.
If Mitch and Pence are against TikTok, I guess I’m for TikTok. Just as a matter of principle.