Add news
News Every Day |

The Supreme Court Judges TikTok

On January 10, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for TikTok, Inc. v. Garland, which will undoubtedly become a landmark case in both First Amendment and national security law. The court has been asked to determine whether the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (“Controlled Applications Act”) may be constitutionally applied to the popular short-video sharing service TikTok. In brief, the Controlled Applications Act requires TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership or be debarred within the United States. The parent company has ruled out a forced sale or divestment. If the court upholds the act as applied, TikTok will go poof from app stores across the country.

TikTok, which has 170 million monthly American users, is owned by ByteDance, a China-headquartered company, which, in turn, is ultimately susceptible to pressure or control from the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok’s competitive edge, which makes it a preferred short-video service among Americans, is its proprietary algorithm that ensures that users are recommended videos that anticipate the viewer’s tastes—keeping the user glued to their screen. Significant percentages of TikTok users self-report using the app “to get news” (41 percent) and “to keep up with politics” (36 percent).

In return, TikTok collects an astonishing amount of personal data on its users. As the DC Circuit Court noted in its opinion upholding the ban, “TikTok automatically collects large swaths of data about its users, including device information (IP address, keystroke patterns, activity across devices, browsing and search history, etc.) and location data (triangulating SIM card or IP address data for newer versions of TikTok and GPS information for older versions)…It may also collect image and audio information (including biometric identifiers and biometric information such as faceprints and voiceprints); metadata (describing how, when, where, and by whom content was created, collected, or modified); and usage information (including content that users upload to TikTok).” Put simply, every TikTok user has voluntarily allowed Beijing ultimate access to personal data of the sort, as Justice Sotomayor put it in her 2012 opinion in United States v. Jones, which “reflects a wealth of detail about her familial, political, professional, religious, and sexual associations.”

If the American government could control TikTok, you can bet that civil libertarians would (quite rightly) be sounding the alarm about President-elect Donald Trump or potential FBI Director Kash Patel having access to a tool that could covertly manipulate Americans’ news diets or store sensitive personal information. Those concerns hardly diminish given TikTok’s relationship with the Chinese government, which of late has been on a determined march of cyber-based intelligence gathering against American targets.

The People’s Republic of China is presently engaged in an unfriendly competition with the United States and our Western allies, part of which has involved waging information warfare, as a recent Foundation for Defense of Democracies report put it, to both “undermine Americans’ trust in their leaders, their government, and each other…[and] manipulate U.S. public opinion regarding Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang,” with the ultimate aim of “weaken[ing] and divid[ing] Americans” to “remove any U.S. obstacles to Beijing’s control and oppression at home and ‘might makes right’ foreign policy abroad.” The U.S. government, through the Controlled Applications Act, has determined that TikTok risks serv[ing] as a force multiplier” for this political warfare campaign against America.

This is not to gainsay the potential free speech and association risks at issue here. As even the laziest student of American history knows, American presidents from John Adams to Woodrow Wilson to Franklin Roosevelt have overreacted to perceived foreign threats with blunderbuss assaults on the Constitution. Thankfully, the Controlled Applications Act is no Sedition Act. It is a carefully drafted piece of legislation. It takes a scalpel, not a meat-ax, to the issue.

In full, the act cautiously and discretely targets only certain applications (not all potential fora), like TikTok, which are produced by narrowly defined “covered compan[ies]” “controlled by a foreign adversary.” The statute limits only four such adversaries: China, as well as Russia, Iran, and North Korea—all allies of Beijing’s unfriendly competition against the West. In particular, the act is a vast improvement over an earlier legislative draft, the so-called “Restrict Act,” which was less carefully drafted and which would have deserved to be struck down by the courts. As a result, given the care that Congress put into its draftsmanship, as well as the commensurate gravity of the threat, the Supreme Court ought to rule that the government has, as applied here, narrowly tailored its law to a compelling national security interest.

The act is no panacea, however. China will not cease attempting to spy on or influence Americans just because the Supreme Court determines the Controlled Applications Act is constitutional. Nor can we be confident that future U.S. government efforts to counter those threats would be as constitutionally considerate as the Controlled Applications Act. If anything, history suggests the opposite.

Thankfully, there is a better approach: one that shifts risk away from the Constitution and onto China. The United States has been on the receiving end of political warfare carried out by Beijing and cannot end this merely through case-by-case defensive legislation. America establishes deterrence by establishing that it can and will take the fight to our adversaries. Counterpunching, not censorship, is the ultimate answer.

To that end, the United States needs to build up a robust interagency capability housed within the executive branch to collect evidence of adversary information warfare operations, analyze vulnerabilities among hostile states, and task the relevant state resources to carry out offensive information operations (or other appropriate disruptive action) abroad if necessary. If China knew that we would respond in kind to election interference, political warfare, or TikTok manipulations by holding things at risk in China as valuable to the CCP as an American-driven, robust, and open civil society is to us, perhaps Beijing might consider a less hostile path.

As the saying ought to go: “good deterrence makes good neighbors.”

Zac Morgan is an attorney specializing in First Amendment and campaign finance law. He previously worked for the Institute for Free Speech and currently serves as counsel to Commissioner Allen Dickerson of the Federal Election Commission. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not express an official view of the U.S. government.

Image: Shutterstock.com.

Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine

Tesla shares sink as deliveries miss forecasts by 'wide margin': report

Hyundai’s Insteroid is an EV one-off for gamers

Will AI ever cure cancer? The multibillion-dollar race to bring the first AI-discovered drug to market

Here’s more of what you’ll see through Meta’s $1,000 smart glasses

Ria.city
Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Колумбус запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...






Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Колумбус запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...


Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Колумбус запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...

Read also

Piggy March: ‘We need to believe in our British events’

Rachel Maddow Thinks ‘Initial Lethargy’ From Dems Is Over After Cory Booker Filibuster | Video

An Open Letter to the One Other Person of Color at This Hockey Game

News Every Day |

The Ashton Jeanty Bears Smoke Just Got Even Thicker

The draft is three weeks away now. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have pieced together an off-season that is earning widespread praise across the league. The question is whether they can stick the landing with their 1st round pick in the draft. Current projections have the top three picks likely being a mix of Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. After that, it gets tricky. People in Chicago want to know where running back Ashton Jeanty will end once the dust settles.

Widespread belief has been that the Las Vegas Raiders are the heavy favorites to take him at 6th overall, with New Orleans at #9 also being a possibility. It makes sense. Las Vegas’ best option right now is a 33-year-old Raheem Mostert. New Orleans knows Alvin Kamara turns 30 in July. Both teams need to think about the future at that position. Both have head coaches who like to run the ball. One thing is clear. A source told SM that those around the league believe one thing is certain.

“He likely won’t get passed Chicago if he falls that far.”

Ashton Jeanty is a strong probability for the Bears.

Whispers from Halas Hall indicate they love the Boise State star. It isn’t hard to see why. He nearly broke Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record in 2024, nearly winning the Heisman in the process. The guy carried his team to the college football playoffs. He’s built like a brick house with power, speed, contact balance, and vision. There aren’t any truly glaring weaknesses in his game. He’s earned comparisons to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshawn Lynch. The Bears haven’t had a back of that caliber since Matt Forte.

Try to imagine what this offense could look like with Ashton Jeanty, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Cole Kmet all as options for quarterback Caleb Williams. Throw all of it into Johnson’s offense, and you can understand why some people around the league aren’t wild about the idea. They are quietly hoping Jeanty goes somewhere else. One thing is certain. If he gets past the Raiders, the noise will get loud in a hurry. It would mark the first time in 20 years the Bears have taken a running back in the 1st round.

Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this

Ria.city
Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Колумбус запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...






Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Колумбус запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...


Реклама
  • ИП Попов А.П.
  • ИНН: 602715631406
Ревматолог: "3 апреля 2024 в г.Колумбус запущена квота"

Каждый человек с больными суставами имеет право получить...

Read also

IPL: Gujarat Titans' Kagiso Rabada returns to South Africa

Ozempic, other semaglutides linked to hair loss: Here's what to know

Girl, 7, struck, killed by falling boulder at Lake Tahoe ski resort

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

T-Mobile closes Lumos deal after dropping DEI

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

T-Mobile closes Lumos deal after dropping DEI



Sports today


Новости тенниса
Рафаэль Надаль

Фото: Рафаэль Надаль присутствует на матче мадридского «Реала» в полуфинале Кубка Испании



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

Бадминтонист из Бердска стал одним из лучших в стране



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

Бадминтонист из Бердска стал одним из лучших в стране


Новости России

Game News

It's actually happening, everybody stay calm: Silksong properly confirmed for a 2025 release date at the Nintendo Direct with a whole 3 seconds of footage


Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine

Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine

Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this

Russian.city

Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this


Архангельск

Вопросы подготовки к празднованию 100-летия Северного русского народного хора обсудили в Минкультуры РФ


Губернаторы России
Алексей Сёмин

Количество кластеров под управлением Deckhouse Kubernetes Platform превысило тысячу


Рейтинг пяти лучших маркетинговых агентств: VICTORY GROUP занял первое место

«Коварная, неприятная и опасная планета»: как ретроградный Меркурий влияет на отношения

Александр Буйнов приглашает на свой 75-летний юбилей

НАТО СПОСОБНО НАНЕСТИ ЯДЕРНЫЙ УДАР ПО США И ЕВРОПЕ? НАТО СДЕЛАНО ДЛЯ ЭТОГО. СЕНСАЦИЯ! НОВОСТИ! СПЕЦOПЕРАЦИЯ "ЗИС". Россия, США, Европа могут улучшить отношения и здоровье общества?!


Съемка Клипа. Съемка музыкального клипа. Съемка клипов Москва.

Органный концерт «340 лет Баху и Генделю» в Москве: Владимир Скоморохов представит барочные шедевры

Декларация о доходах Виталия Кима: стало на одну квартиру меньше, а жена продала биткоины

Рок-группа Linkin Park подала заявку в Роспатент на регистрацию нового логотипа


Блинкова не смогла выйти во второй круг турнира WTA в Чарльстоне

Игрока в пинг-понг Сидоренко дисквалифицировали за оскорбление женщины-судьи

Петрова презентует книгу «Теннис. Методические рекомендации» 5 апреля в Москве

Блогер European kid пытался выгнать теннисистку Соболенко из ресторана


Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine


MD Facility Management: в начале 2025 года до 80% затрат на обслуживание ТЦ приходилось на фонд оплаты труда

Минск, Москва, Нижний Новгород, Казань, Ульяновск и Волгоград приняли литературный десант

Александр Буйнов приглашает на свой 75-летний юбилей

Рейтинг пяти лучших маркетинговых агентств: VICTORY GROUP занял первое место


Рейтинг пяти лучших маркетинговых агентств: VICTORY GROUP занял первое место

В России назвали топ-35 регионов по индексу социального благополучия

За три месяца из Орловской области в регионы России отправлено более 300 тыс. тонн зерна и продуктов переработки

Сергей Собянин рассказал о высокой предпринимательской активности в отношении конкурса «Новатор Москвы»


Образовательный семинар для российских студотрядов прошел в Подмосковье

Лидер Буркина-Фасо Ибрагим Траоре приедет в Россию на празднование Дня Победы

Дефицит препаратов от рассеянного склероза зафиксирован в некоторых регионах РФ

ТОТО. РПЛ - 2024/2025. Прогноз на 23 тур РПЛ


Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine


i
Рекламодатель: Физическое лицо
ERID: 2VfnxxyFD12
ИНН: 772972532300
i
Рекламодатель:
ERID:
ИНН:
Путин в России и мире
Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine



Реклама
The most beautiful beach towns with cheap living

A huge number of people around the world dream of one day breaking out of the daily routine



Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this



Реклама
Top 6 nutrition questions men should ask themselves after 40

To maintain health and remain full of energy, men will be helped by this

Персональные новости Russian.city
Баста

Большой сольный концерт Басты в Новокузнецке: легенда хип-хопа раскачает дворец спорта



News Every Day

Here’s more of what you’ll see through Meta’s $1,000 smart glasses




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости