Althouse: "Former President Donald Trump on Thursday signaled his opposition to a TikTok ban being considered in Congress, arguing that it would help Facebook..."

March 9, 2024

"Former President Donald Trump on Thursday signaled his opposition to a TikTok ban being considered in Congress, arguing that it would help Facebook..."

"’If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business,' Trump, 77, claimed in a Truth Social post, apparently referring to Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. 'I don’t want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!' he added."

The NY Post reports.

29 comments:

RCOCEAN II said...: How can Congress just ban a social media company? Isn't this against the 1st Admendment or some law?

Its insane.; 3/9/24, 10:43 AM
Mark said...: Trump trusts the CCP over an American business.

Make China Great Again!; 3/9/24, 10:44 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: Zuckerberg is loyal to the left's lies and cheat machine.; 3/9/24, 10:50 AM
tim in vermont said...: There is nothing our government hates as much as a source of information which it doesn't control. I am not sure about defending TikTok, but certainly Facebook has abused its power. There is no doubt about that. Facebook employees had read/write access to Wisconsin voter rolls, and used it to boost turnout differentially in heavily Democratic districts, and broke laws in doing so. It. should have been on the receiving end of huge fines, but it wasn't, because our legal system is rigged beyond salvage.

All of these accusations against TikTok may be true, probably are true, but they are also confessions of what our government does in the social media companies it never complains about, like Instagram.; 3/9/24, 10:52 AM
NKP said...: All things with great potential can create great good or great harm. Facebook mooned us.; 3/9/24, 10:54 AM
Joe Smith said...: Trump is wrong.; 3/9/24, 10:57 AM
Charlie Eklund said...: Facebook, the true enemy of the American people? He’s not wrong.; 3/9/24, 10:58 AM
tim maguire said...: I'd like to think these decisions are made for better reasons than personal animosity. But if he's going for the youth vote, this is probably the way to do it.; 3/9/24, 10:59 AM
bagoh20 said...: I don't agree the TIKTOK users would go to Facebook. Hopefully Rumble or Locals, or some other free speech respecting ethical platform, or even better, stop using any.; 3/9/24, 11:04 AM
H said...: Interesting to see that the former President is now. "Trump, 77".
""; 3/9/24, 11:04 AM
The Vault Dweller said...: If they are banning Tik-Tok because their argument is that China and the CCP use it to farm information and spy on Americans then that is a rationale I could swallow, however I still don't think I would support the action If they want to talk about how Tik-Tok spies they need to then talk about what information all the other tech companies are farming and gaining from Americans that most Americans don't even consider. I know I'm not the only person I know who has noticed things like talking to friends on Discord or some other VOIP chat app and mentioning Taco Bell or something else in conversation and then a half hour later seeing a Taco Bell side-bar ad pop up on some random website I visit. These tech companies are definitely collecting information on all their users. I can understand us not wanting the CCP to do that, but to what extent do we want these companies to do that? If we ban China's Tik-Tok what is stopping the other tech companies from turning around and selling that same data to China?

If the rationale is that China is using Tik-Tok for propaganda then I can not accept that. I do believe that China uses Tik-Tok for propaganda, but so what? We use propaganda too. Propaganda goes hand-in-hand with Free Speech. And yes propaganda can affect people, that is why Free Speech is protected because it is important and can affect people. If the Government can band Tik-Tok for propaganda why can't it ban other media companies it doesn't like because of their propaganda.

If the rationale is that Tik-Tok causes or contributes to many social problems like anxiety, depression, or social isolation that is another rationale that I can not support. I do believe that social media at large has had some very negative consequences in society like those mentioned above, especially for girls and young women, but I don't want the Government trying to fix a problem like this, certainly not the Federal Government. A lot of these problems stem from not what people are doing but what they aren't doing. Are we going to keep banning everything until people do what the Government believes they ought to?; 3/9/24, 11:10 AM
Rich said...: Trump demanded the immigration bill until he realized it helped Biden, leaving Republicans whiplashed. A day after his compatriots give him a TikTok ban, he does it again.

In 2020 Trump wanted to ban TikTok. Now in 2024 Trump is against a ban. Trump never cared about a TikTok ban in the first place.

How is the GOP not used to this already?; 3/9/24, 11:13 AM
Wince said...: My surmise:

You can ban phone apps on content-neutral grounds of privacy, consumer protection and national security.

Even if the TikTok app was banned, the content could still be delivered through browsers.

Isn't this "ban" essentially a required divestiture of Chinese state ownership or control?

Trump is making sure Facebook is included in any future regulation of apps, which in any event is probably key to the content neutrality of any forthcoming regulation.; 3/9/24, 11:28 AM
Tom T. said...: Trump signed an order in 2020 requiring Bytedance to sell TikTok, and Biden rescinded it. The fact that the politics of the issue have flipped suggests to me that it's all theater.; 3/9/24, 11:31 AM
n.n said...: Does TikTok have a monopoly or benefit from single/central/monopolistic exclusions?; 3/9/24, 11:31 AM
Joe Smith said...: Let's compromise...ban Facebook too...; 3/9/24, 11:34 AM
R C Belaire said...: Trump : Going after the TikTok vote. At least those of voting age...; 3/9/24, 11:58 AM
AMDG said...: In 2020 Trump was all the in on banning TikTok. I wonder what changed? In other news Trump came up with the bond for the E. Jean Carroll appeal. Coincidence? Like Tucker, I am just asking questions.; 3/9/24, 12:08 PM
Narayanan said...: Facebook mooned us.
=================
Moon should be their logo!
or change name to MoonBook!; 3/9/24, 1:10 PM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: ot:
WTF? https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1766312069035409534; 3/9/24, 1:38 PM
AlbertAnonymous said...: “apparently referring to Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg“

Really? The NY Post thought the reader wouldn’t understand who he meant when he said “Facebook and Zuckerschmuck”?; 3/9/24, 1:49 PM
Joe Smith said...: 'Even if the TikTok app was banned, the content could still be delivered through browsers.'

There are always workarounds, but they are inconvenient.

"In 2020 Trump was all the in on banning TikTok. I wonder what changed? In other news Trump came up with the bond for the E. Jean Carroll appeal. Coincidence? Like Tucker, I am just asking questions."

Do you have any questions about the money Hunter took from communist Chinese apparatchiks?

Like you, I'm just asking questions.; 3/9/24, 1:53 PM
victoria said...: How is that going to sit with his legion of blind followers. Especially when the banning of TikTok has been a right wing must do?

Conundrum. Will they, as they usually do, follow him over the cliff, or will they emerge with half a brain to actually do something.

Vicki from Pasadena; 3/9/24, 1:55 PM
traditionalguy said...: Next thing will need to ban will be Taylor Swift Shows. How else can there be continuous wars all over to make the DC crowd rich.

That lady is a lyrics genius much like the Jewish kid Zimmerman from Duluth, Minnesota. And her voice is better.; 3/9/24, 2:00 PM
Bender said...: Wait, I'm confused. Have we always been at war with Eastasia or Eurasia?

And are we against the COVID vax or for it?

It's hard to be a Trumper.; 3/9/24, 2:03 PM
Jim at said...: How is that going to sit with his legion of blind followers.

You could try reading the comments here. Or not.; 3/9/24, 6:29 PM
Ampersand said...: Read "Blood Money" by Peter Schweizer. Tiktok is a CCP weapon, wrapped in the velvet glove of charming influencers.; 3/9/24, 7:52 PM
Nancy Reyes said...: smart kids will quickly figure out how to bypass any ban.

As for China snooping in on their information: well sloppy security let the Chinese hack my OPM file (along with a million or two other folk who were in the military). So what's the big deal? They will just hack Facebook or hack the US Government files that snoop on us.; 3/10/24, 12:09 AM
gadfly said...: Trump favors the ChiComs because they helped him in his election efforts through TikTok while Facebook charged him for ads.; 3/10/24, 5:34 AM