A group of advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Authors Guild released a letter to members of Congress on Thursday opposing proposals to ban TikTok in the United States, citing concerns about free expression in the digital sphere
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) A group of advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Authors Guild released a letter to members of Congress on Thursday opposing proposals to ban TikTok in the United States, citing concerns about free expression in the digital sphere.
"If passed by Congress and enacted into law, a nationwide ban on TikTok would have serious ramifications for free expression in the digital sphere, infringing on Americans' First Amendment rights and setting a potent and worrying precedent in a time of increased censorship of internet users around the world," the letter said.
Solutions short of a full-scale ban can address privacy concerns without impairing freedom of speech, the letter said.
The letter was sent the same day as TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on concerns about the platform, its privacy practices and ties to China.
Chew highlighted TikTok's efforts to safeguard US user data and denied claims that the platform colludes with the Chinese government. However, lawmakers including committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers expressed skepticism about Chew's claims and called for a ban.
A US ban on TikTok would set an "alarming global precedent" and lend legitimacy to authoritarian regimes that shut down disfavored services, the letter said.
The letter was signed by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, Authors Guild, PEN America, Center for Democracy and Technology, Surveillance Technology Oversight Project and Tully Center for Free Speech.
