Former President Donald Trump accused President Joe Biden of advocating for a TikTok ban, warning voters to take notice as bipartisan legislation to force TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations progresses.
The House passed the bill with a significant majority, moving it to the Senate, where its fate will be decided.
Trump claimed that Biden’s support for the ban aimed to benefit Facebook, insinuating his role in enhancing the latter’s dominance.
Trump’s remarks reflect his own previous attempts to ban TikTok and WeChat during his presidency over national security concerns, which faced legal challenges.
TikTok, emphasizing its commitment to user privacy and free speech, warned of First Amendment violations should a ban be enforced. It pledged to legally contest the legislation upon Biden’s signing, expressing confidence in its defense.
Contrary to Trump’s allegations, the White House clarified its stance, expressing reluctance toward banning TikTok and highlighting the aim to ensure American ownership of the platform to safeguard sensitive data.
The administration aims to prevent data from being sent to China and to safeguard against algorithmic manipulation.
Trump’s assertions come amidst his ongoing criticism of Meta Platforms’ Facebook, highlighting his belief that TikTok’s curtailment would bolster the latter.
However, the legislative proposal seeks to restrict app stores from providing ByteDance-controlled applications once the divestment deadline elapses, a measure aimed at addressing national security concerns.
