There’s a push in Congress from members of both parties to ban the Chinese-based social media platform TikTok.
The proposed RESTRICT Act (S-686), which would ban TikTok under the guise of protecting Americans’ private information from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), would actually give the United States government CCP-like powers to spy on us.
Remember, it’s always the opposite of what they tell you.
Here’s a breakdown from analysts, who are calling it the Patriot Act for the internet.
“The bill to ban TikTok is absolutely terrifying. It gives the government the ability to go after anyone they deem as a national security risk at which point they can access everything from their computer to video games to their ring light,” Price wrote.
“This is a Patriot Act for the internet.”
“Believe it or not, it gets even worse: If you find you in violation, they can put you in jail for 20 years, fine you $1M, and seize your property. They can also deem any foreign government an adversary without informing congress and everything they do is not subjected to FOIA,” Price added.
“The RESTRICT Act is not limited to just TikTok. It gives the government authority over all forms of communication domestic or abroad and grants powers to ‘enforce any mitigation measure to address any risk’ to national security now and in any ‘potential future transaction,’” Mises Caucus wrote.
“So what happens if you are designated a national security threat? What can they access of yours to confirm it? Everything. Notice the preemptive attack on quantum encryption in there, too.”
UncoverDC reported:
Dubbed the TikTok bill because of discussion over banning the app because of TikTok’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the bill has very little to do with the Chinese-controlled app. Instead, it lists a number of foreign adversaries who allegedly pose a national security risk. China is one of the named foreign adversaries.
The Commerce Secretary has control over the list of foreign adversaries and does not have to notify Congress when he or she changes the list. The bill allows a 15-day delay in notifying the President of those on the list. The Secretary may also create, keep, and revise “lists of foreign persons.” Anyone who poses a threat to critical infrastructure (like elections) can be deemed an adversary because of how critical infrastructure was defined in section 1016(e) of the Patriot Act. If your name is on that list, due process seems to go out the window.
This bill authorizes the Secretary and “relevant executive department and agency heads” to fully control “any risk arising from” your devices or your activity on the internet in your own home. Those department heads, see (P. 8), include pretty much anyone the government sees fit to appoint. Section 3 addresses the “relevant” department and agency heads and the many justifications for their intrusion. The rationales include almost anything they deem “poses an unacceptable risk.”
What kinds of virtual and otherwise devices are fair game, you ask? Any and all. The list is comprehensive. It includes e-commerce sites, payment technologies, online marketplaces, biotechnology, synthetic biology, post-quantum cryptology, quantum key distribution (security keys used to encrypt and decrypt messages), and more.
Watch the video below where Tucker breaks it down, so it makes sense:
Read the full RESTRICT Act HERE.
