Elon Musk spoke out this Friday (19) against the ban on TikTok in the United States, even if it means less competition for his platform X, while the initiative receives new momentum from both parties in Congress.
The US House of Representatives will vote on Saturday on a bill that would force TikTok to divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide 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 passage in both chambers of the US Congress.
“TikTok should not be banned in the United States, even if such a ban could benefit platform X,” Musk said in a post on the social network he acquired in 2022. “To do so would be contrary to freedom of expression.”
Several responses to Musk’s X comment 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 a few months or be excluded from Apple and Google’s US app stores.
It would also give the President of the United States 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, saying it would harm the US economy and undermine freedom of expression.
“It is regrettable that the House of Representatives is taking the cover of important foreign and humanitarian aid to once again approve a prohibition bill,” declared a company spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that a ban “would trample on the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shut down a platform that contributes $24 billion [R$ 125 bilhões] annually for the United States economy.”
2024-04-19 23:42:42