Renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk has publicly voiced his opposition to the proposed ban of TikTok in the United States, despite the potential benefits it could bring to his own social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter.
The initiative, gaining bipartisan momentum in Congress, faces a crucial vote in the US House of Representatives on Saturday.
The proposed bill mandates that TikTok must sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a nationwide prohibition.
This measure, backed by both Democrats and Republicans, has been integrated into a comprehensive aid package for countries such as Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, potentially facilitating its approval in Congress.
In a statement on X, Musk emphasized the importance of upholding freedom of speech and expression, asserting that banning TikTok would be contrary to these fundamental principles.
“TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform,” Musk said in a post on the social network he acquired in 2022.
“Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression.”
His remarks sparked a discussion on the potential implications of such a ban, with many expressing concerns about setting a precedent for targeting other social media platforms.
Under the proposed legislation, ByteDance would be compelled to divest from TikTok within a specified timeframe or risk exclusion from major app stores operated by Apple and Google in the United States.
Additionally, the bill grants the US president authority to designate other applications as national security threats if they are controlled by countries deemed adversarial.
TikTok swiftly condemned the proposed ban, warning of its adverse impact on the US economy and the suppression of free speech rights for millions of Americans.
“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill,” a company spokesman said.
He added a ban would “trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the US economy annually.”
Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging that it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and Beijing.
President Joe Biden’s recent conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted his ongoing concerns regarding TikTok’s operations.
While the House of Representatives previously approved a similar bill targeting TikTok, its progress was stalled in the Senate.
