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Comment by troad | Hacker News Reader

I keep reading the headlines, wondering how exactly they to ban TikTok. Does TikTok not have some kind of First Amendment right to speak? If they can ban TikTok, why not the Fox News / MSNBC app?

Also, what exactly are they proposing to ban - TikTok the company doing business in the US? TikTok the app being distributed by Apple / Google? The TikTok domains being accessible from within the US? I'm genuinely curious.

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First amendment rights are only granted to US citizens (and presumably US companies).

There are many examples of import embargoes.

First amendment rights (and many other rights) apply to anyone in the country, not just citizens.

I imagine the approach will be to treat it as a spy/propaganda network operated by a hostile foreign state. I'd be amazed if such a thing was protected by the first amendment.

> and presumably US companies

It would be simple to prove that TikTok (and it's parent company ByteDance) are free from foreign government involvements by simply disclosing their worldwide finances and having external auditors confirm they aren't receiving payments from adversaries.

I don't see why the company would prefer to face a potential ban from it's most lucrative market rather than go that route...

If the US is going to ban it they’re going to ban it. You appear to be hinting that China has something to hide. Sure they obviously do. The US is hiding that they’re intent on banning it regardless of what the company does outside being American property.

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