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Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., defended the TikTok ban, emphasizing that it’s not an infringement on free speech but rather a crucial national security measure. He highlighted concerns about the Chinese Communist Party’s data collection practices targeting American citizens and potential access to state secrets.
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to uphold the federal TikTok ban acknowledges that national security concerns outweigh free speech considerations for the app’s 170 million U.S. users due to its connections with China.
TikTok is a Chinese Communist Party Surveillance App in your pocket.
The Supreme Court has just banned TikTok in the US with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) unless it severs all ties to the government of China.#tiktokban pic.twitter.com/0ZktmwpOte
— Jigsaw (@Jigsaw__225) January 17, 2025
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for TikTok, citing its potential role in his success with younger voters. “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points,” Trump stated. “There are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that. TikTok had an impact.”
While some argue that other tech companies like Google also share data with China, Cloud acknowledged this point but maintained that TikTok poses a distinct national security threat. He emphasized that the solution is straightforward: ByteDance simply needs to divest from TikTok to allow the platform’s continued operation.
BREAKING: Supreme Court has upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act
“This… is not a ban on TikTok. It is a pathway to a safer, better TikTok.
This is the first step – now it is time to make the deal of the century.” – @RepMoolenaar pic.twitter.com/2VHGpq3qxn
— Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (@committeeonccp) January 17, 2025
“And all they have to do is divest it. Communist China, all they have to do is divest themselves from TikTok and TikTok can continue. And I think it says a lot when they won’t divest it,” Cloud noted.