https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protecting_Americans_from_Fore...
If ByteDance calls Washingtons bluff --which they very likely will-- it sets the stage for a first amendment case at the supreme court as per Citizens United in 2010, corporate personhood is very much a thing in the US.
Arguing out of principle for 'free speech' is often used to defend literal Nazis even. Why couldn't they use it? Especially when corporations are people there.
There is a scene from "Cool Hand Luke" where the Warden instructs Luke "You gonna get your mind right." I think Jack Ma got his mind right. Navalny never quite got his mind right.
Given that TikTok acquired Musical.ly, they fall under the purview of CFIUS, an executive branch agency. This legislation is welcome, but not actually necessary since there's already a Constitutionally-tested process for banning foreign companies. If the executive and legislative are in agreement... well, TikTok is not going to be able to ignore that.
Foreigners enjoy 1A protections _inside_ the US, but foreign-owned companies are not always entitled to the same protections for exactly these national security reasons.
Can anyone pleaese inform me as to how this is actually a national security issue?
Americans voluntarily install and consume TikTok content. The government can prohibit this software from government-owned devices, just like any employer could, but to disallow it from the public is bonkers.
If the app gets removed from app stores, what will prevent people from side-loading it to circumvent the ban? What happens to me personally if I set up a proxy so you can send and receive info from TikTok through my servers for some small monthly price? I can even publish an app.