Elon Musk has again raises voice against the proposed ban of TikTok in the US, asserting that it stifles “freedom of speech and expression” and contradicts America’s moral values and ethics.
“In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the 𝕏 platform,” Musk shared on X (formerly Twitter). “Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is not what America stands for.”
In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the 𝕏 platform.
Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is not what America stands for.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2024
This statement follows the House’s progress on the procedural aspect, paving the way for a formal vote, possibly scheduled for May 6th or shortly after, on the legislative package earmarked to allocate $95 billion to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The proposal is in its final stages with a fourth set of bills.
This isn’t the first time the Tesla CEO has opposed the ban on TikTok in the US. Last month, in an X post, Musk argued that the legislation extends beyond concerns about national security regarding a Chinese-owned app.
“This law is not just about TikTok, it is about censorship and government control! If it were just about TikTok, it would only cite ‘foreign control’ as the issue, but it does not,” he asserted in the post.
The House’s motivation to ban TikTok stems from longstanding concerns about whether the company could be under the influence of the Chinese government, with fears that Bytedance (its parent company) might have shared Americans’ data with the government or used TikTok for propaganda purposes. The app’s ties to the Chinese government have long been scrutinized. Last month, the House passed a bipartisan resolution aiming to halt TikTok’s operations in the US or force it to be sold.
However, the Senate did not advance the legislation. The latest provision for banning subsets of TikTok, outlined in the foreign financing document, allows a longer period of 270 days with an optional extension of 90 days for President Joe Biden to approve, compared to the initial bill, which only allowed 180 days for a full divestment deadline.