A former senior Trump administration aide, Kellyanne Conway, has been hired by the conservative activist group Club for Growth to lobby against a potential ban on the popular app TikTok. This move comes as Congress inches closer to passing a bill that would force the Chinese-owned app to sell to a US-based company.
According to Politico, the decision to bring on Conway was motivated by the Club’s concern about alienating the app’s 170 million monthly US users. In an interview, Conway called the potential ban “draconian” and “ill-advised,” stating that it would harm US-China relations and not address more pressing issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s human rights abuses.
The former Trump aide has also reportedly shared polling conducted by the Club that suggests a large portion of independent voters would be less likely to support a candidate who votes for a ban on TikTok. Even among Republican users, the majority would not support a ban, according to the same poll.
Interestingly, the Club for Growth’s largest donor, Jeffrey Yass, holds a 15% stake in TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. The Club has been vocal in its opposition to efforts to ban the app, citing concerns about the impact it could have on the economy and the Club’s ties to Yass.
If Congress bans TikTok, they will be acting just like the Chinese communists who have also banned TikTok . . . Why not just defend the first amendment? pic.twitter.com/7eAvKNPdvc
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 8, 2024
Former President Donald Trump had previously expressed support for banning TikTok, but has since changed his stance, arguing that a ban would only benefit Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Trump also suggested that Facebook, which he claims “cheated” in the 2020 election, would see a boost in business if TikTok were removed from the market.
Many of Trump’s allies appear to share his new perspective on TikTok. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, and even tech mogul Elon Musk have joined the app in recent months. Some have also pointed to the fact that TikTok’s algorithm favors pro-Trump content, making it a platform that could benefit the former president in the 2024 election.
Several of Trump’s former advisers and strategists, including Sean Spicer and Alex Bruesewitz, have also voiced their opposition to a TikTok ban. They argue that the app is popular among Gen-Z and could play a role in capturing the youth vote in future elections. They also accuse Mark Zuckerberg of suppressing conservative content on Facebook and Instagram, making a ban on TikTok seem hypocritical.
The pushback against a TikTok ban has not gone unnoticed by Congress. The House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed a bipartisan bill that would force the sale of TikTok to a US-based company or face a ban in the country. The bill is expected to go to a vote on the House floor this week, with indications that President Joe Biden would sign it if it passes both chambers of Congress.
Anyone lobbying for TikTok and helping advance the goals of the Chinese Communist Party should have to file with DoJ as a Foriegn Agent https://t.co/ytewBdHXnx
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) March 10, 2024
One of the main concerns driving the push for a ban on TikTok is the app’s ties to the Chinese government. Peter Schweizer, a senior contributor at Breitbart News, argues in his book “Blood Money: Why the Powerful Turn a Blind Eye While China Kills Americans” that the Chinese government has used TikTok as a “modern-day Trojan Horse” to spread propaganda and influence the minds of American youth.
According to Schweizer, Chinese strategists see TikTok as a tool for “information-driven mental warfare” against the United States. They believe that by targeting individuals and groups through popular cultural products, they can influence their ideology, values, and behavior.
While Congress is primarily focused on the potential national security threat posed by TikTok, the app’s potential ban has sparked a larger debate about free speech and censorship on social media platforms. Some argue that banning TikTok would set a dangerous precedent and limit the freedom of expression on the internet.
As the debate over TikTok and its future in the US continues, it remains to be seen how much influence Kellyanne Conway’s lobbying efforts will have. But one thing is clear, the controversy surrounding the app has brought to light larger issues about the relationship between the US and China, the role of social media in politics, and the power of technology to shape society.
