Heritage backs bill banning TikTok

Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, said Monday it supports legislation that could potentially ban TikTok in the United States.

“Heritage Action supports the bipartisan Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Regulatory Applications Act. This bill would protect Americans from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party through TikTok,” the group said. Ta. wrote on social mediausing the acronym for the Communist Party of China.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on a bill that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the video app or face a ban on the platform in the United States. Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Raja Krishnamoorthy (D-Ill.) withdrew from the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday with unanimous support.

Heritage Action supports this bill because there appears to be a split within the Republican Party on whether to support it.

“This bill prioritizes addressing the threatening conduct, influence, and structure unique to TikTok, not the content posted by Americans that TikTok hosts. “We have a duty to protect our people, especially young people who are vulnerable to manipulation, from the whims of enemy states,” the group said in a statement.

“HR 7521 represents an important step in limiting the Chinese Communist Party’s growing infiltration and exploitation of Americans. A vote against this measure is a vote in support of China’s continued surveillance of Americans. ” the group wrote.

Former President Trump said over the weekend that he opposed the bill, even though he supported banning video-sharing platforms during his time in office.Freedom Works, a political advocacy group affiliated with the Freedom Caucus, said it opposed the bill. in a statement early Monday morning.

“It is also clear that some Americans are addicted to the dopamine rush of social media’s instant gratification,” Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, said in a statement.

“While we are frustrated with the current state of political discourse in the United States, we are also fortunate to live in a free society where we can express our opinions. With freedom there is always excess. “We believe parents, not Congress or regulators, should police their children’s online activities, including social media exposure,” Brandon said.