Elon Musk Opposes TikTok Ban Amid New Restrictions

Billionaire X owner Elon Musk said Friday he opposed TikTok’s prohibition, as a bill would either compel the app’s Beijing-based parent business

As part of the highly contentious and bipartisan foreign aid package, the House of Representatives is anticipated to approve ByteDance’s proposal to sell TikTok or prohibit its operation in the United States on Saturday.

Musk expressed his objection to a ban on TikTok in a tweet on Friday, describing the prohibition as “contrary to freedom of speech and expression.” He also stated that he is against the planned controls on TikTok even though such a ban may benefit the X platform. 

The remark was issued a few hours after the House of Representatives successfully overcame a procedural obstacle, paving the way for a formal vote to take place as soon as Saturday on a legislative package that would assist Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan for $95 billion. 

The package contains a fourth piece of legislation obliging ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the United States. This measure is aimed at attracting Republicans who are opposed to providing aid to other countries.

For years, TikTok has been scrutinized regarding the possibility that its parent company, ByteDance, may be accountable to the Chinese government.

Concerns have been raised regarding the possibility that ByteDance may pass on Americans’ data to the government or use TikTok to propagate propaganda. For a long time, TikTok has denied having any connections to the Chinese government.

A separate bill that would either require the sale of TikTok or ban the social media app in the United States was approved by the House of Representatives last month with backing from both parties. However, the Senate was unable to move forward with the proposal.

Compared to the initial measure, which established a deadline of 180 days, the most recent TikTok ban included in the foreign aid package sets a longer schedule for ByteDance to sell TikTok.

The extended timeline is 270 days, and President Joe Biden can also extend it by 90 days. The deadline extension has satisfied several senators who were initially wary of the House TikTok bill.

One of these senators is Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington state, who leads the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, responsible for reviewing the TikTok legislation.

According to a statement released by Cantwell on Wednesday, the purpose of the extended timetable is to

“ensure there is sufficient time for a new buyer to get a deal done.”

TikTok has been used to spy on citizens of the United States, according to information cited by a coalition of lawmakers from both parties, who favor increasing the amount of controls placed on the platform. 

Musk’s resistance to the restriction on TikTok comes just a few days after he asked users for feedback on whether or not he should revive the short-form video app Vine, which was discontinued in 2017. According to the survey, about 70 percent of the 2.3 million users of X believe that the firm should bring back the platform.