The Strange Bedfellows of TikTok

The vote to force TikTok to be divested from Chinese ownership, or be banned in the United States, has passed in the House of Representatives, by a very wide majority.

That large vote also produced some weird alliances. As they say, politics makes strange bedfellows. The bill passed 352 to 65, with most members of the Squad standing firmly alongside *checks notes* Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, and Nancy Mace.

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To my eye, the 65 representatives who voted to keep TikTok as-is are the ones who have very online presences, and are loath to mess up their virtual reach by messing with TikTok. The bill, as passed, would only ban TikTok if the company continues to be owned by ByteDance, which like all Chinese companies, answers to the CCP.

Ed Morrissey

And it might have closer ties to the CCP and Beijing intelligence than some. I don't necessarily think it's unusual for the more-online House members to be skeptical of the bill, but this is also a useful reminder that their own interests may be taking precedence over the greater interest. Deanna seems more enthusiastic about this bill than me; I see TikTok as a threat, but one that has likely already done the damage. ByteDance's other apps may need a look, too. 

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