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John,
Congress is rushing to vote on a bill this week that would essentially ban TikTok. Lawmakers need to hear from you now to stop this wrong-headed bill.1
Take Action
After numerous federal and state level efforts to restrict TikTok (including total bans of the app on government devices, campuses, and for young people), this new bill would require China-based ByteDance (the company that owns TikTok) to sell the app, or be banned from app stores in the U.S. Lawmakers are arguing that this is to protect user data from abuse by China.
While there are some real concerns about the data collected by TikTok, singling out just one app shows a massive ignorance of how governments, including our own, already spy on us and put pressure on companies to manipulate our feeds.2
All social media platforms controlled by Big Tech are collecting and profiting off our data, presenting tangible risks to users. If Congress actually cared about this, they’d pass meaningful data privacy protections and antitrust laws.
Send a message to your lawmakers calling on them to oppose the proposed TikTok ban, and demand real data privacy protections.
TikTok is a convenient target. Lawmakers can stoke fears about China and target a platform where young and marginalized activists are meaningfully organizing for LGBTQ rights, gun control, and racial justice. The ACLU has asserted that banning TikTok would “violate the free speech of millions.”3
Congress isn’t trying to ban Tiktok to protect our privacy. This is an effort to suppress free speech and eliminate a powerful tool for organizing.
Tell your lawmakers to stand against the TikTok ban and insist on sensible privacy regulation.
Together,
Sarah at Fight for the Future
Footnotes:
1. AP: https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-bill-support-congress-china-data-f1ec5b720bb68884c6423c62f314dcff
2. CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/16/opinions/tiktok-ban-congress-privacy-law-greer-ctpr/index.html
3. Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/technology/aclu-urges-us-lawmakers-not-ban-tiktok-2023-02-28/
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