ACLU: Biden Signs Law Effectively Banning Tik Tok

[hueymahl]

BREAKING: President Biden just signed into law a bill that will effectively ban TikTok.

We'll keep saying it: This ban directly violates the First Amendment rights of the over 170 million Americans who use the platform.

https://x.com/ACLU/status/1783197310194745833

[Marcus IM]

1. Cuba doesn't ban any social media.

Affordability is another issue, but, no bans on social media on the evil island of Dr Castro.

Maybe the Cuban government could learn a thing or two about information bans and hi tech surveillance from the US.

[leftstreet]

16. +1

[Elessar Zappa]

18. Geez, why can't we be more like Cuba?

(Said no one sane).

[Marcus IM]

25. To be like Cuba would require our greatest trading partner putting extraterritorial sanctions on us.

And how do you think that would impact our economy, supply chains, etc etc?

You're right. No one wants to be in that position.

Sane folks don't think that the US's sanctions specifically aimed at destroying their economy are helpful, nor the right thing to be doing.

That's why the UN has overwhelmingly voted to condemn the US sanctions on Cuba for decades.

Have a great one.

[Mountainguy]

50. Nobody is stopping you

from going.

[Marcus IM]

52. Americans are travel banned by the US govt.

Luckily, I am Cuban-American.

I am granted my full constitutional rights, while only certain, and few, Americans who qualify are allowed by the US OFAC.

Cuba doesn't ban social networks or travel either, but the US does.

Enjoy your day.

[Mountainguy]

53. Yup a paradise of freedom and human rights

You should go.

[Marcus IM]

54. I do. Frequently.

I was born there, so, I have full travel freedom.

Unfortunately, if you aren't Cuban born, you need to apply for an US OFAC permit.

I go several times a year to visit family and friends.

Probably why I know about the reality in Cuba.

I never make silly claims of Cuba's paradise. It's a poor nation. Made poor by the deliberate collective punishment by the US extraterritorial sanctions designed to destroy their economy.

But, EVERY Cuban in Cuba has housing, healthcare, and education - all universal.

Enjoy your day.

[GreenWave]

2. I hope this was not a set-up.

[captain queeg]

3. How quickly will this take effect?

I’m not a big fan/user though I check it out occasionally.

[Pretty Fly]

5. They have nine to twelve months I believe.

[emulatorloo]

7. As I understand it Bytedance has a year to sell. Which they probably will.

[Think. Again.]

4. Unless I'm mistaken....

....the ownership of tiktok is considered a high national security risk and the bill allows for tiktok to be sold to more trustworthy owners.

[hueymahl]

11. I think you are right

But I have seen some commentators say the bill is broader than that and can be used in the future against any other online company. I have not read the bill, so I don't know if that is true.

[Think. Again.]

14. I'm going to read it, but for now...

...I'm still trusting that Biden wouldn't allow for some sneaky verbiage like that.

[FemDemERA]

51. I thought it was wrapped up in the

Aid package and not separate? Or was that completely on its own? Could he have signed the Ukraine funds for instance and vetoed the Tictoc bill if he had wanted to? Am I just completely confused here? Somebody with more knowledge than me please set me straight…

[Marcus IM]

26. Wouldn't it be nice to have a healthcare system run by more trustworthy owners? Sadly, no bills for that. n/t

[Think. Again.]

27. Good point...

...maybe we should expand what "National Security" means.

[Marcus IM]

28. Yes. Food supply also. Many foods and additives sold here are banned elsewhere because of health risk.

But, I guess the "rugged individualists" among us know better than needing/wanting big gubmint regulashuns 'n stuff.

[womanofthehills]

29. Over on TicToc

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLmnMq4u/

Suzy Loftus - “we are spending 2 billion dollars to keep TicToc safe”. “We have a US led team”
(Security team)

[Think. Again.]

30. That's dumb, just sell it.

[MerryBlooms]

48. What is tic toc? Is that a sub platform of tiktok?

I'm not on either. I know about the weird challenges, sometimes violent. Other than that, as far as I've know, it's mini YouTube videos.

[Autumn]

32. Loony Musk has the money to buy it but I wouldn't trust him with a bagel.

[Think. Again.]

36. Well, that WOULD be one way to run it into the ground.

[Autumn]

38. I would hate to see it be another shit show like X. I enjoy TikTok.

[usonian]

6. It will be appealed. Probably unconstitutional under 1 and/or 5.

Ban wouldn't take effect until after the election if Byte Dance doesn't sell TikTok.

Trump tried to ban it by E.O. but the District Court of DC issued an injunction after the owners sued.

Biden signed an executive order revoking the Trump Administration's ban on TikTok, but

Biden seems to agree on the access to US data that the app seems to provide.

My comment:

Thank goodness American social media companies don't spy on Americans, sell their data to any buyer, nor do they spread Russian or Chinese propaganda.
/sarcasm

A data privacy and ownership law like EU's would be infinitely better.

[TheRealNorth]

8. Western elites don't control Tik tok

Which is the real reason (and because its large and is used by the youth). They saw how the Arab Spring and Occupy movements spread on social media and collectively shit a brick.

[Think. Again.]

15. Banning tiktok alone wouldn't stop social media...

...there are many other services and starting new ones is fairly easy (trump did it).

[womanofthehills]

31. Not the same -

TicToc is worth 50 billion.

[Think. Again.]

35. It's all the same...

...all these apps come and go.

[hueymahl]

12. I think you are right. Hope you are right.

Also, I would love to see stronger privacy laws here!

[Deuxcents]

23. I'm wondering if there are any privacy laws that would be effective

Seems like “they” know everything about us already…where we shop and what we buy, what we read on the ‘net. Our vehicles report where we go, how fast we get there and what route we took. I think we’d be shocked to learn just what they know, how the get that info and what they’re doing with it.

[J_William_Ryan]

9. "...the First Amendment rights of the over 170 million Americans who use the platform."

Current users won’t be affected – the ban applies to app stores, prohibiting new users to download.

And of course there are ways to get around the ‘ban,’ such as VPNs.

It’s also perfectly appropriate for President Biden to sign the bill into law – he has no grounds to veto given the courts haven’t ruled on its constitutionality; indeed, new laws are presumed to be constitutional as a representation of the will of the people.

[hueymahl]

10. That is not my understanding of how first amendment law works.

For example, in United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group (2000), requires that the government demonstrate that the restriction is substantially related to an important government interest and that the restriction is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.

Arguably it passes the first test, related to an important government interest. But I don't see how it can pass the second test, narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.

Now Biden is acting well within his purview to sign the legislation. According to the ACLU, he should not done so.

[Pretty Fly]

40. That's not a relevant point.

If it's removed from app stores, eventually the app will become unusable. Every app you have on your phone has updates. If it's removed from the app store, it can no longer update and over time, it won't function, either correctly or at all.

And just because there's ways to get around it doesn't mean it's still not a violation of the 1st Amendment.

You can find ways to get around government banning books - doesn't make it any less a 1st Amendment issue, however.

[LeftInTX]

13. I think 170 million is an exageration. I only watch TikTok videos if I don't have another source.

I think I would be considered a "user" of the platform. Yes, I have an account, but the only reason I do is to watch a few videos, which I couldn't view otherwise.

This will be appealed. It will be interesting.

[honest.abe]

22. I was wondering about that too.

These can’t be regular users. I’m guessing it’s anyone who downloaded the app. Which I have done but I’ve only been on the site a few times.

[womanofthehills]

37. American adults - over 4.4 billion minutes per day

“American adults spend over 4.43 billion total minutes per day on TikTok, behind Facebook with 5.2 billion minutes as of 2023. TikTok is forecasted to pass Facebook usage by 2025, eMarketer data shows.”

“In the U.S., on average users spend 82 minutes per day using TikTok’s Android version, Sensor Tower analysis shows.”

https://backlinko.com/tiktok-users#monthly-active-tiktok-users

[honest.abe]

39. I would say those numbers indicate that people need to get off Tiktok and other social media and do something else.

Like spend some time in nature like hiking or camping or fishing or meet with friends and relatives or read a book or a myriad of other activities besides looking at a screen.

[MerryBlooms]

49. Must be a lot of homebound folks? I have a lot of music

Playing while I'm out doing yard work. I also play videos for the Russian Blue colony here at our house, that definitely rack up the hours! 🤣

[leftstreet]

17. Ban for-profit health insurers instead n/t

[Elessar Zappa]

19. Run for office and introduce a bill.

I’m sure it’s as easy as you’re saying.

[leftstreet]

21. Elected legislators should already be doing that n/t

[hueymahl]

20. 100%

[Igel]

24. I don't see that happening.

The ACLU will file a suit. Biden's DOJ might defend it. Might not--or might just let it be known it won't be enforced.

If the DOJ does defend it, they might cave at the first available opportunity. Administrations do that--there's a law they don't like, they find a way to have a court settlement stipulating non-enforcement. Better than Congress--hard to get a court to void a settlement like that.

[Doodley]

33. I don't like this action. This is not the time to give Trump more ammo against Joe Biden and Democrats.

[ripcord]

34. Americans freaked out when the US government was gathering their data

China gathers their data and they say "here take it, enjoy". The mob is getting dumber every day.

[ripcord]

47. I'll trust the President on this one

[WarGamer]

41. How long until the RW folks start astroturfing an anti-Biden social media campaign aimed at youth?

3,2,1...

[Kingofalldems]

43. Ahhh-Bad things about Democrats.

[Kingofalldems]

45. Trollish behavior you say?