Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced his intention to legally challenge a potential TikTok ban in the U.S., arguing it’s not about China harvesting data, but rather a smokescreen.
His statement comes after President Biden signed a $95 billion national security package that could ban TikTok if ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, doesn’t sell the app. ByteDance has stated they have no plans to sell, despite the potential ban.
Kennedy argues that China doesn’t own the majority of TikTok and that the company agreed to place its data behind a U.S. firewall, a deal rejected by the Biden administration. He criticizes the administration and Congress for failing to understand TikTok’s role as an entrepreneurial platform for American youth.
He concludes by stating that the TikTok ban exemplifies how political parties are willing to sacrifice freedoms, rights, and choices for their political interests.