San Francisco. Elon Musk spoke out on Friday against banning TikTok in the United States, even if it means less competition for his X platform, as the initiative receives new push from both parties in Congress.
The US House of Representatives will vote on Saturday on a bill that would force TikTok to spin off Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a national ban.
The measure, which has the support of many Democrats and Republicans, was included in a massive aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which could facilitate its approval in both chambers of the US Congress.
“TikTok should not be banned in the United States, even though such a ban may benefit Platform X,” Musk said in a post on the social network he acquired in 2022.
“Doing so would be contrary to freedom of expression.”
Several responses to Musk’s comment about X expressed concern that a ban on TikTok would set a precedent that could be used to attack other social networks and messaging services.
Under the bill, ByteDance would have to sell the app within months or it would be excluded from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States.
It would also give the US president the authority to designate other apps as a threat to national security if they are controlled by a country considered hostile.
TikTok criticized the bill, stating that it would harm the American economy and undermine free speech.
“It is regrettable that the House of Representatives is hiding behind significant foreign and humanitarian aid to once again pass a prohibition bill,” said a company spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that a ban “would trample on the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses, and shut down a platform that contributes $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy.”
#Musk #opposes #ban #competitor #TikTok
– 2024-04-22 17:43:10
