House Republicans aim to ban TikTok and other social media platforms they say pose a risk to national security, however, this could have a devastating impact on Black creators and entrepreneurs.
During the pandemic, many people flocked to social media as a way to cope with a new normal and to connect with family, friends and strangers around the world.
According to Forbes, in 2020 TikTok’s users increased by 75% with millions of Americans downloading the app. In recent years Black Americans have relied on the platform to promote their businesses or their talents, garnering millions of followers and earning anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
However, if some members of Congress have their way, Black creators’ livelihoods could be at stake.
On Tuesday, a number of bipartisan senators introduced the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act to grant the U.S. government power to ban apps like TikTok. The White House has backed the bill and in a statement obtained by theGrio, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said this was a step in the right direction to prevent future national security risks. The statute would “prevent certain foreign governments from exploiting technology services operating in the United States,” said Sullivan.
This comes just days after the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a vote to grant President Joe Biden the power to sign the Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries (DATA) Act into law which would ban the use of TikTok nationwide and the use of other foreign-owned apps.
House Republicans argue that Tiktok is collecting users’ personal data and spying on Americans through the social media app. According to The Guardian, House Republican committee chair Michael McCaul called TikTok a “spy balloon in your phone,” referencing the…
Read the full article here
