TikTok and freedom of speech
There's been a lot of debate lately about whether or not the TikTok ban violates the first amendment, so I'm gonna make a bunch of simplified scenarios to think about the question without all the noise.
Scenario One: There is a popular coffee shop in town where people like to go to chat with their friends. One day, the health inspector comes and finds a bunch of rats in the kitchen, so the city shuts down the coffee shop. Does this violate the first amendment?
I think we can all agree that it doesn't. It's certainly not a 100% free market, but this kind of thing happens all the time and arguing that it violates the first amendment would be crazy.
Scenario Two: There is a popular coffee shop in town where people like to go to chat with their friends. It's a busy place and the owners are pretty easygoing, so sometimes people would hand out pamphlets with their opinions of the government. One day, the health inspector comes and finds a bunch of rats in the kitchen, so the city shuts down the coffee shop. Does this violate the first amendment?
It's a little murkier, but I'd still go with no. The patrons can go to another coffee shop to discuss their opinions of the government. However....
Scenario Two A: 200 health inspectors were sent to inspect the coffee shops in the neighborhood with the lowest approval rating for the current government. As a result, half of the coffee shops in the neighborhood closed down, and people have to travel farther to reach their closest coffee shop.
It certainly seems like the government is trying to stop the people in this neighborhood from meeting up with each other!
Scenario Three: The coffee shop is owned by someone who opposes the government, and hands out anti-government pamphlets at their coffee shop. The government shuts it down. Does this violate the first amendment?
I would lean towards a yes. While it's true that the coffee shop owner can always hand out pamphlets on the street, the government shutting down the coffee shop is a form of suppression especially if there were no rats in the kitchen.
Scenario Four: The coffee shop is owned by a Swede living in Sweden. The owner makes their staff print out and distribute anti-American pamphlets at the coffee shop. The government shuts down the coffee shop. Does this violate the first amendment?
I'd say no, especially if the staff don't really care for whatever is in the pamphlets. The person whose voice is being suppressed is neither American nor located in America, so they're not protected by the first amendment.
Scenario Five: There is a chain of coffee shops owned by a company in Sweden. It's quite popular amongst young people, who like to go to this chain to discuss politics with their friends. The government bans this chain from operating in the country. Does this violate the first amendment?
I'd say it depends on the answers to two questions:
1. Why was the chain banned?
2. Are there other places where young people can easily meet and discuss politics with friends?
For the second question, I'd like to point out that there's a difference between desirable and accessible:
"The drinks at the swedish chain are better than the local coffee shops."
"The swedish chain has the best decor."
"I can't afford to hang out at the local shops often."
"The staff at the local shops keep shushing us when we try to chat."
"The regulars at the local shops harass young people until they leave."
"The local shops have very unreliable hours, so it's hard to hang out there consistently."
So now I'm gonna apply all this to the TikTok situation.
The reason for the ban seems to basically boil down to "America and China are on bad terms."
As for the second question, there are other places where you can make short video content. They might be shittier than TikTok, but I'd still say they serve their purpose as a platform.
So no, I don't think the TikTok ban violates the first amendment.
So, do I agree with the TikTok ban?
Banning banana imports doesn't violate the first amendment, but that doesn't mean we should support a banana ban.
Whether or not the TikTok ban is justified depends on two things.
1. How much value does TikTok bring to Americans, as opposed to other apps? I'm old and not super social media savvy, so I don't really know.
2. The Chinese government does have some level of control over TikTok, since it is owned by ByteDance which is a company based in China. Do we trust the Chinese government with this? What on Earth were the senators told that made them all vote to pass the bill?
So honestly, I don't even know. I'm not American anyway, why do I care.
