TikTok ban bill in US faces changes after ByteDance spent $100M on lobbying

Re:TikTok ban bill in US faces changes after ByteDance spent... by patapong on Thursday July 13, 2023 @01:55PM (#36713340)

I am not sure. Billboards are mostly used for ads, so that seems less relevant from a freedom of speech view. But if billboards were systematically used to share political ideas and criticize the government, and as a response the government decided to ban them, that may be an issue.

It is also notable that the other firms you mention are American, and thus may embody a certain viewpoint and culture.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:TikTok ban bill in US faces changes after ByteDance spent... by cheriot on Thursday July 13, 2023 @02:05PM (#36713528)

I picked some that are popular in the US because they're alternatives to TikTok.

I find it hard to believe that a single medium like billboards or an app like TikTok is such a unique thing that it's a burden on people to communicate without them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:TikTok ban bill in US faces changes after ByteDance spent... by patapong on Thursday July 13, 2023 @02:32PM (#36713962)

I see your point. But I do not think the burden to use alternatives matter - the fact is that people are using tiktok to express themselves in a protected manner, which means that restricting it is a free speech issue. Further, the tools and moderation policies of tiktok are different enough that there may not be a viable alternative to discuss certain ideas in certain ways.

Otherwise, one might argue that the government can ban specific newspapers as there are other newspapers where journalists can publish, or that the government can cab paper newspapers since people can publish online.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:TikTok ban bill in US faces changes after ByteDance spent... by 2OEH8eoCRo0 on Thursday July 13, 2023 @02:14PM (#36713669)

Remove emotional bait from the conversation and it makes even more sense:

Can the government ban harmful foreign products?

[ Parent | on HN ]