In DC, if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is. This TikTok ban is no different. 

TikTok is something that both sides of the aisle agree has major problems, specifically that its roots are firmly within the Chinese Communist Party. We all agree that our data being given over to the CCP is a bad thing and as such, both Republicans and Democrats are pushing for a ban if ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, doesn't walk away from Chinese control. 

In a rare show of "getting things done," Congress is ready to ban TikTok from the States to protect the people, and that sounds...very uncharacteristic of Congress. Doing something that fast for the benefit of the people isn't something Congress is known for. 

That means something fishy is going on. 

Sure enough, a poison pill was found, and leave it to Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie to find it. As he pointed out on Tuesday, the TikTok ban is actually a "trojan horse" that would effectively give the executive branch power to ban pretty much anything on the internet he doesn't like. 

The so-called TikTok ban is a trojan horse. The President will be given the power to ban WEB SITES, not just Apps. The person breaking the new law is deemed to be the U.S. (or offshore) INTERNET HOSTING SERVICE or App Store, not the “foreign adversary.”

The so-called TikTok ban is a trojan horse.

The President will be given the power to ban WEB SITES, not just Apps.

The person breaking the new law is deemed to be the U.S. (or offshore) INTERNET HOSTING SERVICE or App Store, not the “foreign adversary.”https://t.co/iKtAQFGeQH pic.twitter.com/P26hEbzQrf

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 12, 2024

In other words, this bill would give the government, namely the executive branch, broad powers of censorship over the internet. Websites like Telegram and VPN programs would take a hit for starters. What's also worrisome is that "foreign adversary" is not a clearly defined idea, which means this could be something left up to the opinion of the President.

It should be noted that Massie also posted a follow-up tweet pointing out who is completely untouchable in this bill. See if you can't figure out who it is just by the language. 

If you think this isn’t a Trojan horse and will only apply to TikTok and foreign-adversary social media companies, then contemplate why someone thought it was important to get a very specific exclusion for their internet based business written into the bill: pic.twitter.com/LnHsmEgtt9

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 12, 2024

If you guessed "Amazon," you win. 

As Rand Paul said, this is ultimately a danger to our First Amendment rights dressed as a "safety" issue for the people. 

🧵‼️ The lengths some in Congress will go to for more authority and control over Americans’ freedom of speech never ceases to amaze me. The TikTok bill recently advanced by the House would endanger the 1st amendment and empower the federal govt to ban social media platforms…

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 9, 2024

No matter your position on TikTok, this bill is far more dangerous than ByteDance is. It should be noted that there is still no evidence that ByteDance ever shared our data with China and that the fear is the possibility that China could order the Singapore-based company to do so. 

This amounts to the devil we do know attempting to convince us that we should give it power to protect us from the devil we don't know. But if we know anything about our local devil, it's that it's not our friend and never will be. 

We should stand firm against this TikTok bill. 

(READ: Rumble Ready to Acquire TikTok As a ‘Cloud Technology Partner’ If It Divests From the CCP)