Montana becomes the first state to ban TikTok but implementing the law will be challenging
CBSNov 25, 2022
The Facts
In recent weeks, members of US Congress have called for a ban on China-based social media platform TikTok, arguing it hosts anti-Israel and anti-Jewish content.
On Tuesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to ban TikTok, citing a Harvard CAPS Harris poll that found that Americans aged between 18 and 24 held a favorable view of Hamas' actions in the Middle East.
The Spin
Republican narrative
TikTok is a hotspot for propaganda aimed at tearing the US apart, and it must be stopped. Banning the platform isn't about free speech; it's banning Beijing from spying on Americans and using young minds to infiltrate its own interests.
Democratic narrative
Right-leaning politicians are using TikTok as a stand-in for the PRC in search of a bogeyman, ascribing what could just be generational differences to a so-called Chinese plot. While national security concerns should be taken seriously, these latest calls bear all the signs of an attempt to rile up emotions and win support.
Libertarian narrative
The answer to TikTok isn't censorship. Rather, those who are concerned about the messages proliferating on the app should counter them with more speech and education instead of government intervention.