Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, has voiced her support for a ban on TikTok, citing concerns about the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on American society.
What Happened: After the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Saturday that has the potential to greatly influence TikTok's future in the U.S., Haley took to X, formerly Twitter, to express her views on the matter.
"We must stop the infiltration of the Chinese Communist Party into the lives of Americans. Ban TikTok," she said in her post.
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The bill passed on Saturday suggests that TikTok must be sold within a year or face a ban from U.S. App Stores. This decision was part of a larger package aimed at providing aid and bolstering national security measures in support of Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Haley withdrew from the 2024 presidential race last month. Her decision virtually guaranteed Donald Trump's Republican nomination and re-match with President Joe Biden in the November election.
Why It Matters: The issue of TikTok's future in the U.S. has been a subject of intense debate. Earlier in March, former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy suggested an alternative legislative approach to the TikTok debate.
At the time, Ramaswamy expressed concerns about the potential expansion of federal power if TikTok goes ahead with divestiture plans. "There's a real possibility that after TikTok is divested to new owners, the platform continues to work *exactly* as it does today, yet we've vastly expanded federal power to punish disfavored actors in the future."
On the other hand, Trump, who previously supported banning TikTok, has been opposing the bill, citing the benefits it would bring to Meta Platforms Inc.‘s Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
In March, Trump said, "If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business," adding, "I don't want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!"
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