Some people may be aware that the House recently passed, with bipartisan support, HR7521 which would ban TikTok in America because “of Chinese influence.” The hysteria that has been generated in this country over this app is unreal. This bill represents the most far-reaching attempt at censorship in the history of America. This attempt to ban TikTok is just another step toward ending freedom of speech in this country.
Tucker Carlson gives a good outline showcasing the hypocritical argument being used against the social media platform TikTok and the auspices of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) expansion and influence in America. Carlson walks through some of the real current aspects of Chinese ownership and influence in the USA. These include ownership of farm land and potential issues with water, energy and infrastructure. Tucker then asks why TikTok is the focus of concern.
Rand Paul joins Tucker to discuss the specific details of HR7521. Sen. Paul does a good job framing the issue around the global cleaving going on around the world. That global cleaving, which was triggered by Western sanctions against Russia, is a very real phenomena despite people denying it is taking place.
TikTok and its parent company Bytedance have done everything they have been asked to do by our government. Their servers are in Texas. The company has an American board. Etc. The real target here is not TikTok. It is the American who utilizes X, Rumble, Gettr, Crypto, etc.
The current government cannot allow non-compliant, divergent thoughts that are permitted to exist on those apps. . It cannot permit content hubs that publish information that the government does not approve of. And it certainly cannot allow financial hubs that allow for transactions that it cannot monitor. This law would open the door to shutting down social media platforms it does not approve of.
Our current government is trying to end the First Amendment. They are doing this while they are trying to collapse the economy so that they can rush in to “save us.” Allowing divergent opinions to exist and float around in the digital square is a danger to the “success” of that endeavor.
The Senate should reject this attempt to end our First Amendment rights.