TikTok Fights Silencing in the US

Banning TikTok is a violation of freedom of expression. The ban is thought to be related to the extent of support for Palestine.

AP/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

TikTok supporters demonstrate at the United States House of Representatives offices in March 2024.

WASHINGTON DC, WEDNESDAY — Tiktok against silencing efforts in the United States. The company is challenging United States regulations which would completely ban TikTok if it does not want to sell its shares. The TikTok ban was accused of being triggered by widespread support for Palestine in the United States.

Tiktok registered a lawsuit in federal court in Washington DC on Tuesday (7/5/2024) afternoon or early Wednesday morning WIB. TikTok and its parent, ByteDance, are asking the court to bar US Attorney General Merrick Garland from implementing the TikTok ban. With up to 170 million users in the US, TikTok is one of the most popular social media.

Also read: Tiktok and US-China Rivalry

The regulation was signed by US President Joe Biden on April 24, 2024. The law forces TikTok to sell part of its shares to investors in the US. If there is no share sale by January 19, 2025, the US will completely ban TikTok from operating. The ban will take effect from April 2025.

A member of the Democratic Faction in the U.S. House of Representatives, Raja Krishnamoorthi, said that the law is the only way to deal with the national security threat posed by ByteDance's ownership of Tiktok. "Instead of continuing with deceptive tactics, it is time for ByteDance to start the divestment process," he said.

AP/MARIAM ZUHAIB

TikTok supporters demonstrate in front of the United States House of Representatives offices in April 2023.

If divestment is not done, the law prohibits Google and Apple from offering Tiktok on their devices. The law also prohibits US internet service providers from providing connections to Tiktok.

Violate the constitution

For Tiktok and ByteDance, the regulation violates the US constitution regarding freedom of speech. "For the first time in history, Congress has passed a law permanently and nationally banning a social media platform from expressing opinions," the lawsuit stated.

Also read: Tiktok does not fade under anti-China sentiment in the US and Europe

Tiktok said that divestment was not possible from a commercial, technology, or legal perspective. China, the country where ByteDance originates, banned TikTok divestment in the US. As a result, Tiktok concluded that US regulations would make Tiktok completely banned.

The ban is seen as a clampdown on 170 million Tiktok users. Moreover, the way of communication and interaction on Tiktok is said to be unmatched by other social media platforms.

AP/TED SHAFFREY

TikTok supporters demonstrate in New York, United States, in April 2024.

Another reason is that US companies do in fact hold shares in ByteDance. The owner of 58 percent of the Chinese company's shares include BlackRock, General Atlantic, and Susquehanna International Group, among others, which are all financial institutions based in or affiliated with the US. In addition, there are 7,000 individual US investors who hold shares in ByteDance.

There has been no comment from the US government regarding the lawsuit. Previously, the White House claimed that the regulation was not intended to ban TikTok, but rather aimed at ending Chinese ownership of the app. This is due to concerns over national security threats if TikTok remains owned by ByteDance.

Also read: Tiktok and Social Media Dilemma Ahead of the European Elections

The US, among others, accuses Tiktok of sharing user data in the US with the Chinese government. Tiktok denies the allegation and instead accuses the US Congress of being excessive.

Another prohibition

The US is not the only country that has banned Tiktok. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Taiwan, India, Nepal, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, France, the UK, Estonia, and Australia have already declared their ban. Meanwhile, China has long banned Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Youtube.

AFP/NOAH SEELAM

A protest against TikTok took place in Hyderabad, India, in June 2020.

The US has followed suit in banning TikTok through a quick political process. In less than one semester, the proposal process to the passing of the bill was completed.

A number of Tiktok users have exposed the reasons behind the United States' ambition to ban Tiktok. One of which is because Tiktok is considered a social media platform that does not prohibit the dissemination of information about Palestine.

This is different from Meta's various social media. The findings of a number of parties concluded that Facebook and Instagram suppressed accounts supporting Palestine. Meanwhile, accounts supporting Israel are left free.

Also read: ByteDance Chooses Tiktok to Die in the US Instead of Selling Shares

Former Tinder investor and official, Jeff Morris Jr, is one of those who called for TikTok to be banned because it is considered too supportive of Palestine. "Israel lost the war on TikTok," he said.

The conclusion is contrary to the recordings of Tiktok usage. Data shows that during October 2023 alone, there were 9,000 videos related to Palestine on Tiktok. All of these videos were watched 27 million times in the United States. During the same period, there were 5,000 videos supporting Israel on Tiktok. These videos were watched 43 million times in the United States.

AP/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken while in Amman, Jordan, in April 2024.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that TikTok was one of the reasons criticism of Israel was getting louder. Tiktok and social media mean that audiences no longer hear information from just one party. Tiktok and various social media are considered to make it difficult for Israel to influence global opinion to hate Palestine.

Before the era of social media, information about Palestine was only obtained from the government or big media. There is ample evidenceinformation disseminated in the US is filtered to benefit Israel. In the era of social media, various information from a Palestinian perspective is easier, faster and more widely spread.

Also read: US Moves Closer to Banning Tiktok

Director of Advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Seth Stern, claims that the ban on TikTok in the US or Al Jazeera in Israel has the same goal of silencing the voices of Palestine supporters. Blinken's statement strengthens that suspicion.

Technology war

Apart from Tiktok, the US is also targeting Huawei in the technology war with China. On Tuesday, the US also revoked several permits to export advanced technology to Chinese telecommunications company Huawei Technologies. This company has been sanctioned by the US. One of the revocations of export permits is for chips.

KOMPAS/SUTTA DHARMASAPUTRA

MWC 2024 Barcelona takes place on 26-29 February 2024 in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

This step was taken after Huawei released a laptop with artificial intelligence (AI), the MateBook X Pro. The laptop uses the new Intel Core Ultra 9 processor. Intel is an American company.

The launch of this laptop was criticized by members of the Republican Party in parliament. The US Department of Commerce was accused of allowing Intel to sell the processor to Huawei. "We have revoked certain export licenses to Huawei," the Department of Commerce said in a statement without specifying which license had been revoked.

Also read: iPhone, Tightly Tapped by Samsung and Chased by Chinese Newcomers

An Intel spokesperson declined to comment. Huawei did not immediately respond to the request for comment. Huawei was included in the US trade restriction list in 2019.

However, Huawei's supplier companies in the US have received billion-dollar licenses to sell Huawei's products and technology. One of the controversial licenses issued by the Trump administration allows Intel to send central processors to Huawei for use in its laptops since 2020. (AP/REUTERS/AFP)