Ahead of the Supreme Court's oral arguments in TikTok v. Garland, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has issued a statement expressing concerns over a potential ban on TikTok in the United States. Ash Johnson, Senior Policy Manager at ITIF, argues that such a ban would negatively affect American businesses and consumers.

Johnson states, "A TikTok ban would hurt American businesses and consumers more than TikTok itself ever has." He elaborates that millions of American content creators rely on the platform for various purposes, from hobbies to primary income sources. Additionally, many businesses use TikTok to market their products and services. Johnson emphasizes that millions of Americans utilize the app for entertainment, education, and news.

The ITIF challenges claims about TikTok being a national security threat. According to Johnson, "The ban will not prevent foreign election interference or halt the spread of misinformation online." He notes that misinformation can be spread by any foreign government on any social network and describes allegations of algorithm manipulation as speculative. Regarding data privacy concerns, Johnson suggests that if Chinese apps are problematic due to data access issues, then all Chinese apps should be banned.

Johnson urges the Supreme Court to consider whether banning an app widely used by Americans might cause more harm than good. He highlights America's tradition of supporting a free and open Internet: "Changing that course would set a dangerous precedent," which could influence other countries' policies as well.

For further information, contact Nicole Hinojosa at [email protected]