Congress Should Think Bigger Than TikTok Ban, Tech Critics Say
Facebook, X, Instagram and other platforms need stricter data regulation, according to privacy advocates.
By passing a bill that could ban video-sharing app TikTok in the US, the House of Representatives took one of the most aggressive legislative moves the country has seen during the social media era. Many lawmakers who opposed the bill want to think bigger. “We need to address data privacy across all social networks, including American companies like Meta and X, through meaningful regulation that protects freedom of expression,” said Wisconsin Democrat Mark Pocan in a post on X after he voted against the bill. “Not just single out one platform.”
The bill, which would force China’s ByteDance Ltd. to give up its stake in TikTok as a condition of continuing to operate in the US, now heads to the Senate. All signs are the legislation will have a harder time there than it did in the House. Some senators have already said the best way to design TikTok legislation that will stand up to legal challenges is to set rules about data privacy for the entire tech industry, an idea that’s been kicking around Washington for years without ever getting particularly close to becoming law.