Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to appear in front of Congress today for an antitrust hearing that will include testimony from Apple, Amazon, and Google. Zuckerberg is expended to defend Facebook as essential in winning a virtual, digital arms race against communist China, according to Bloomberg.
The Trump administration has considered banning TikTok in the US over perceived security threats. The concern is that TikTok provides a "back door" to Beijing, where user data and content are available to CCP officials.
US lawmakers have expressed interest in launching an investigation into the video app's owner Bytedance Ltd. and its relationship with the Chinese government.
"We're looking at TikTok, we're thinking about making a decision," Pres. Trump says when asked about whether he was nearing decision about banning the platform.
— ABC News (@ABC) July 29, 2020
Trump says he will be watching today's congressional hearing with tech CEOs "very closely." https://t.co/8I1V5xHPAF pic.twitter.com/EriETVCwrW
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, upon hearing of Zuckerberg's plans, wrote a blog post where he explained that TikTok's "energies on fair and open competition [are] in the service of our consumers, rather than maligning attacks by our competitor—namely Facebook—disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US."
Mayer continued by saying that without TikTok, American advertisers would not have many options, and that "competition would dry up and so too will an outlet for America's creative energy."
Mayer said of TikTok "we are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda—our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy."
Bloomberg reported that Zuckerberg's testimony was published in advance, which focuses "on the broader danger of allowing tech firms from the world's No. 2 economy to dominate the online sphere."
Facebook's CEO has made efforts in the past to bring the social media behemoth into China, but found the restrictions from Beijing to be too stringent.
Zuckerberg is expected to say that "China is building its own version of the internet focused on very different ideas, and they are exporting their vision to other countries," according to the CEO's testimony that was prepared for the House Judiciary Committee.
Kyle Kashuv wrote in April for The Post Millennial that "TikTok has the facade of an innocent platform," but that it "has an enormous user base, with 1.5 billion downloads and 800 million active users," adding that "those who control the levers of what can, and cannot be seen on its platform, have immense sway."
Since about 40 percent of all TikTok users are between the ages of 16 and 24, it has the potential to act as a breeding ground for manipulating impressionable minds, including beliefs and perceptions about US politics.
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
