Elon Musk Opposes Ban on TikTok in the US

Elon Musk recently voiced his opposition to the proposed ban of TikTok in the United States. The US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill that mandates TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban.

The bill has garnered support from both Democrats and Republicans and has been included in a significant aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, potentially facilitating its approval by the US Congress. Musk, who acquired a social networking platform in 2022, asserted that banning TikTok would contradict freedom of speech and expression and should not be implemented, despite potential benefits for the X platform.

This statement prompted a number of responses expressing concerns about the precedent a TikTok ban could set for targeting other social media and messaging services. Under the proposed bill, ByteDance would be required to sell the app within a few months or face exclusion from Apple and Google’s app stores in the US.

TikTok strongly opposed the bill, stating it would have a detrimental impact on the US economy and undermine free speech, citing potential consequences such as infringing on the rights of millions of Americans and disrupting businesses. Furthermore, Western officials have raised concerns about TikTok’s popularity among young people, alleging it serves Beijing and spreads propaganda, a claim denied by the company and Beijing.

President Joe Biden reiterated his worries about TikTok during a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in early April, emphasizing the ongoing scrutiny of the app. The House of Representatives had previously approved a similar bill targeting TikTok, which had faced obstacles in the Senate.

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