Elon Musk spoke out on Friday against the proposed TikTok ban in the US, noting that even though it might reduce competition for his own social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, he opposes such action.
The US House of Representatives is preparing for a vote this Saturday on legislation that would require TikTok to divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban.
Supported loudly by members from both political parties, the legislation has also been written into a massive aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which could ease its passage in both chambers of the US Congress.
“TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform,” Musk said in a post on the social network he acquired in 2022.
“Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression.”
Many users responding to Musk’s statement on X expressed worry that banning TikTok could establish a precedent, potentially threatening other social media and messaging platforms. According to the legislation, ByteDance would need to divest the app within months or see it removed from Apple and Google’s app stores in the US.
TikTok ban would “trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans and devastate 7 million businesses
The legislation also empowers the US president to label other apps as national security threats if they are owned by a country considered hostile. TikTok criticized the bill, claiming it would harm the US economy and restrict free speech.
“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill,” a company spokesman said.
He continued, asserting that a ban would “trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the US economy annually.”
Western authorities have raised concerns about TikTok’s influence among youth, accusing it of being subservient to Beijing and a tool for spreading propaganda, allegations both the company and Beijing reject.
President Joe Biden reiterated his concerns about TikTok in a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier in April. Although the House of Representatives passed a similar bill targeting TikTok last month, got held up in the Senate.