ITIF - The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

01/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/09/2025 16:07

TikTok is Not a Threat to American Users, But the TikTok Ban Is, Says ITIF

WASHINGTON-Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments for TikTok v. Garland, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, issued the following statement from Senior Policy Manager Ash Johnson:

A TikTok ban would hurt American businesses and consumers more than TikTok itself ever has. Such a ban would impact the millions of American content creators who use the platform to reach an audience as a hobby, a side hustle, or a primary source of income. It would hurt thousands of American businesses that use the social network to market their products and services. And it would harm the millions of American users of all ages who use the app for entertainment, education, news, and more.TikTok is not a national security threat. The ban will not prevent foreign election interference or halt the spread of misinformation online. Any foreign government can spread misinformation on any social network and claims that TikTok manipulates its algorithm to promote Chinese interests are still only speculation. TikTok does not collect particularly sensitive data, and if the United States is concerned about Chinese apps having access to Americans' data, then it should ban all Chinese apps.The Supreme Court should carefully consider whether banning an app that millions of Americans use every day for communication, creative expression, entertainment, and news will cause more harm than good. The United States has always supported a free and open Internet, unlike many of our foreign counterparts that enforce arbitrary measures to block politically unpopular content. Changing that course would set a dangerous precedent, not only domestically but for other countries that might follow in our footsteps.

Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, [email protected]