What the hell is up with Rep. Maxwell Frost? [View all]
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!
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