SAN FRANCISCO – Mr Elon Musk on April 19 came out against banning TikTok in the US, even if it would mean less competition for his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, as the initiative sees fresh bipartisan momentum in Congress.
The US House of Representatives was set to vote on April 20 on a Bill that would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban.
The measure, which has the vocal backing of many Democrats and Republicans, has been written into a massive aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which could ease its passage in both chambers of Congress.
“TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform,” Mr Musk said, in a post on the social network he acquired in 2022.
“Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression.”
A number of replies to Mr Musk’s comment on X expressed concern that a TikTok ban would set a precedent that could be used to target other social media 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 app stores in the US.
It would also give the US president the authority to designate other applications as a threat to national security if they are controlled by a country considered hostile.
TikTok slammed the Bill, saying it would hurt the US economy and undermine free speech.
“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 that a ban would “trample the free-speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes US$24 billion (S$32.7 billion) to the US economy annually”.
Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok among 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 reiterated his concerns about TikTok during a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in early April.
The House of Representatives in March approved a similar Bill cracking down on TikTok, but the measure was held up in the Senate. AFP
