What the hell is up with Rep. Maxwell Frost?

[markpkessinger]

I heard him on MSNBC a few minutes ago. He was talking about his opposition to the provision of the just-passed foreign aid bill that gives Tik Tok 9 months to be sold to a non-Chinese owner, because he thinks banning it could potentially infringe on on the app's users' free speech rights under the First Amendment, "especially since it is so popular. That is, frankly, the kind of argument I expect to hear from Republicans, not Democrats!

Look, if you're going to take the position that one particular social media app must be protected in order secure the free speech rights of those who use it, then it seems to me Rep. Frost should be taking issue with China's admitted censorship on the app of content the Chinese government considers "sensitive," such as the Chinese government's persecution of Uyghurs, the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests and the Sino-Indian border dispute, as well as posts having to do with LGTBQ+ concerns and the concerns of disabled people. So a Tik Tok user's free speech rights are already infringed, whether they know it or not!

And look, Tik Tok, just like Facebook or any other social media app, has the right to censor content on its app. But NO ONE should be under any illusion that it is some kind of forum for free speech!

Frost's argument is idiotic!

[drray23]

1. He is correct and unlike most on DU in touch

With younger voters. TikTok is no more of a risk to spread propaganda than X or truth social. Likewise personal data can be gotten from Facebook and the like just by purchasing it.
This concern about Chinese spreading propaganda on TikTok could be addressed by other means instead of essentially banning it.

It is telling that instead of trying to craft a reasonable law addressing this ( like the European privacy laws) we went along with the gop and voted for it.

Another interesting fact is that right wing media conglomerates already indicated they might be interested in buying it. Do you think it will insure TikTok is fair and balanced, free of propaganda if this happens?

[markpkessinger]

2. If Frost had presented his argument as you've presented it here,, I would have no problem with it . . .

. . . What i was taking issue with was the fact that he was making the argument on First Amendment grounds. And he is most certainly incorrect about that! This isn't a First Amendment issue. To suggest that it is is to say that the First Amendment guarantees not only Free Speech, but establishes a constitutional right to make that speech on the social media app of one's choosing. And that is utter nonsense!

[drray23]

4. It is actually an interesting point.

As we know, the first amendment protect the right of people to be censored by the government. Of course it does not apply for private entities, something right wingers get wrong all the time.
In this case, there is probably a reasonable argument to be made by a clever lawyer that since congress is forcing the sale or potentially its banishment, its an infringement on first amendment.
I am pretty sure the ACLU will go to court on this.

[JohnSJ]

5. It isn't the spread of propaganda that is of concern, but Chinese data

banking and privacy concerns.

[drray23]

6. That train has already left the station

In Facebook, X and pretty much everywhere on social media your information is being gathered, traded and sold. There is no reason to only target TikTok. As I said in my post, we'll crafted privacy laws could address that as a whole.

[k55f5r]

7. It worked for Twitter...[/s ]

n/t

[Ping Tung]

3. People everywhere should be able to choose their information source freely.

If they don't like it they can choose to ignore it. If they do like it they should be free to indulge it.

The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants.
Albert Camus