Elon Musk, the billionaire tech mogul, has spoken out against the efforts to ban TikTok in the United States, citing that it would be in conflict with the First Amendment and goes against the principles of freedom of speech and expression that America stands for.
Musk, who purchased the social platform X in October 2022, clarified that while a ban on TikTok would likely benefit X, he does not support the ban. In his statement on Friday, Musk emphasized that banning TikTok would be contrary to the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression and that it is not what America represents.
Musk’s stance on the issue comes as House GOP leaders have introduced a bill focused on national security priorities. The bill includes a provision that would prohibit the use of TikTok in the US if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to separate its operations from the Chinese Communist Party within a year.
This modified provision extends the time frame for ByteDance to sell the app from six months to a year, a change that Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell has welcomed.
The initial bill to ban TikTok, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversarial Controlled Applications Act, was introduced last month and passed the House just a week later.
However, it has faced opposition, including from former President Trump. Cantwell supported the updated legislation, stating that the extended divestment period is necessary to ensure enough time for a new buyer to complete a deal.
Musk’s position on the ban aligns with progressive Democrats, who have raised concerns that the legislation could potentially infringe on users’ free speech. President Biden has indicated that he will sign it into law if the TikTok bill passes through both chambers.
