As all tik tok users saw last week, there was a petition page on tik ok right as you opened it to encourage users to partake in protecting this app. This all started when a bill was passed to effectively remove tik tok under the circumstance that the Chinese company does not comply with standards the US government has recently released. To go even further than tik tok itself the “Restrict Act” (March 7, 2023) gives added powers to the Secretary of Commerce to start banning most Chinese owned apps in America. This act also puts citizens at a disadvantage for challenging these decisions. With all these events taking place to go against and abolish tik tok judicial systems have also stepped in and are not being ordered to act on created criminal penalties to any citizens who tries to access the app after it has been banned. It is time for the more than 100 million American tik tok users to send emails to congress, sign petitions, spread the decision’s being made and take action to defend the app of our generation. If the ban goes through American citizens are put in a position where our 1st amendment rights are in jeopardy due to such a large control of our internet usage. There are alternatives to give our government the peace of mind they want while not completely wiping out an entire branch of internet from the American citizens.
https://go.peoplepower.org/letter/tiktok-ban
My Take:
As I’ve stated over and over in my previous blogs, I still just don’t understand the logic in such monumental advances our government is making towards the app. I mean our political and presidential structures want to preach how America protects its citizens rights and values citizens inputs (HELLO DEMOCRACY) yet is choosing to take a very restrictive measure against not only the app itself but the citizens and politicians who could greatly boost their votes as well. It in its entirety is messing with our right to the 1st amendment and the government seems to not care anymore so long as they don’t get their feelings hurt over their relations with China.
My Question to You:
Obviously have you signed the petition when it popped up on your phone? If you did not why? Did you think it was a fake or a spam of some sort?
****Below I have added a link directly to the petition to anyone who would like to sign :)***
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-tiktok-ban-021414e9-86da-402c-8fef-59294d08416d
Hey Morgan, I just want to say I love your blog! I feel like since i started using TikTok a couple of years ago I've heard about it potentially getting banned multiple times, yet it never comes to fruition. Prior to your post I didn't even know there was a petition to stop the ban. I completely agree that banning TikTok would cause severe consequences. Throughout this class we've learned that so many within the younger generation get their political news and general news from social media (like TikTok) and while I'm sure you'd agree there is lots of fake news and misinformation, being able to see news in real time at the touch of our fingertips is helping to educate younger American's of voting age or almost voting age. TikTok is where I first heard of Riley Strain, the missing college student, where I first heard the news of the Key Bridge Collapse in Maryland just a few days ago and so much more. I think banning TikTok is the wrong move if we want to keep younger voters informed on what's happening around them.
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