The restrictive RESTRICT Act is being marketed to the public as a TikTok ban, and many individuals are getting outraged by this obfuscation. The Young Americans for Liberty organization asked rhetorically, “Have we learned anything from the Patriot Act?”
It has become clear that the proposed law covers far more ground than just prohibiting TikTok. The law allows the federal government to regulate citizens’ internet behavior and includes harsh penalties for lawbreakers. Fines may reach up to $1 million, and offenders could spend up to 20 years in prison. They might also have their computers and internet accounts (including Bitcoin wallets) seized and searched.
Donald Trump Jr. has voiced his disapproval of the bill. He tweeted that the uniparty wants more ability to govern what “we do and see,” and are giving the Biden thugs the power to throw us in jail for 20 years…”
Kentucky Senator and Republican Rand Paul have spoken out against the proposal. In an editorial published in the Louisville Courier-Journal, the senator and former presidential candidate said that the bill would make the United States of America more like China.
Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson thoroughly demolished the premise in a segment that aired earlier this week, saying that the purpose of this bill is not to outlaw TikTok. He said it’s always the opposite of what they say it is. He believes the legislation would provide the federal government with expansive and potentially threatening new authority to punish American citizens and regulate their interactions with one another.
Carlson claims that if they passed this, the Biden administration and the executive branch, in general, would have the authority to censor content on the internet. Moreover, you will spend the next 20 years in prison if you are connected with a “foreign for,” such as someone against the war with Russia.
He concluded that the goal is not to prevent people from using TikTok. The goal is to make our system more authoritarian in every respect. He warned not to assume that those pushing to ban TikTok have your best interests at heart simply because it’s so unpopular.
