TikTok Ban Bill Is Patriot Act 2.0 Trojan Horse [video]
The "Terminate TikTok on Campus Act of 2023" (H.R. 231) is a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. If enacted, it would prohibit federal funds from being provided to institutions of higher education unless they ban the use of TikTok on electronic devices owned or issued by the institution.Here's a summary of the main provisions of the bill:Short Title: The bill is referred to as the "Terminate TikTok on Campus Act of 2023."Prohibition on Federal Funds: The bill would prohibit federal funding for institutions of higher education that do not develop and implement standards and guidelines banning TikTok on their electronic devices and requiring the removal of TikTok from such devices.Research Exception: The bill provides an exception for research related to national security, law enforcement, telecommunications, or cybersecurity that is conducted by, supervised by, or authorized by faculty of an institution of higher education.Definitions: The bill defines "institution of higher education" according to the Higher Education Act of 1965, "electronic device" as a device capable of accessing the internet, and "TikTok" as the social networking service TikTok or any successor application or service developed or provided by ByteDance Limited or an entity owned by ByteDance Limited.What this means for end users:If this bill is enacted, students, faculty, and staff at institutions of higher education that receive federal funds would be prohibited from using TikTok on electronic devices owned or issued by the institution, with some exceptions for research purposes. This could impact the use of TikTok as a tool for communication, entertainment, or education on college campuses.Given your emphasis on fairness, freedom, and privacy, you might want to consider the following aspects of the bill:Privacy concerns: TikTok has been criticized for its data collection practices, and this bill could be seen as a measure to protect the privacy of students, faculty, and staff at higher education institutions.Freedom of expression: On the other hand, the bill could be viewed as a limitation on the freedom of expression for members of higher education communities, who would be restricted from using a popular social media platform on institution-owned or issued devices.Equity and access: The prohibition could disproportionately affect students who rely on institution-provided devices for their personal use, as they would be unable to access TikTok, whereas students with personal devices could continue using the app.Before taking a stance on the bill, you may want to weigh these factors and consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of such a prohibition for students, faculty, and staff at institutions of higher education.