There’s a bipartisan bill that is picking up a lot of steam, but one Republican Congressman has discovered what he believes is a Trojan horse.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, when Congress does something together quickly, it deserves a close look because something is up.
Sure enough, the “so-called TikTok ban” has a poison pill. A part of the ban would allow the executive branch to ban anything they don’t like on the internet.
“The so-called TikTok ban is a trojan horse. The President will be given the power to ban WEB SITES, not just Apps. The person breaking the new law is deemed to be the U.S. (or offshore) INTERNET HOSTING SERVICE or App Store, not the “foreign adversary,” wrote Rep. Thomas Massie
On the social media post Massie highlighted the concerning text.
The so-called TikTok ban is a trojan horse.
The President will be given the power to ban WEB SITES, not just Apps.
The person breaking the new law is deemed to be the U.S. (or offshore) INTERNET HOSTING SERVICE or App Store, not the “foreign adversary.”https://t.co/iKtAQFGeQH pic.twitter.com/P26hEbzQrf
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 12, 2024
It’s no wonder Biden is willing to get gen z mad over signing the bill, he wants the power.
Websites like Telegram and the use of VPNs could be eliminated and the term “foreign adversary” could mean a broad usage of things and was not clearly defined.
Massie also pointed out that it appears Amazon is getting a free pass.
If you think this isn’t a Trojan horse and will only apply to TikTok and foreign-adversary social media companies, then contemplate why someone thought it was important to get a very specific exclusion for their internet based business written into the bill: pic.twitter.com/LnHsmEgtt9
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 12, 2024
Senator Rand Paul is taking a different approach but the devil is in the details on this one. Congress may hand over a large part of control over the internet to the executive branch during an election year.
🧵‼️ The lengths some in Congress will go to for more authority and control over Americans’ freedom of speech never ceases to amaze me. The TikTok bill recently advanced by the House would endanger the 1st amendment and empower the federal govt to ban social media platforms…
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 9, 2024