Statement from Rep. Adriano Espaillat on Vote Opposing a TikTok Ban
NEW YORK, NY – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement on his vote against legislation that would ban TikTok, divesting the company from its parent company, ByteDance, and that would impact billions of users including in New York’s 13th congressional district.
“Today, I voted against a bill that would limit access to TikTok for billions of users, including my constituents, many of whom I heard from regarding this matter,” said Rep. Espaillat. “This bill was put together very quickly and would enact measures that would be nearly impossible to implement. We need broader legislative engagement that incorporates a more comprehensive response to data security concerns, including on TikTok and all social media platforms, and this bill is simply not that.
“Enacting legislation such as this would have global implications, if enacted, including a precedent that could potentially embolden other nations to crack down on U.S. platforms as a direct counter response,” he continued.
“We need comprehensive industry-wide privacy protections, and as we move forward, we must not deploy the restrictive tactics of our adversaries and limit use and access of billions of users and businesses on these platforms. Congress must do all that we can to prevent adversarial threats on social media as well as ensure protections of freedom of expression and speech on these platforms that have allowed many voices, including otherwise marginalized communities, to have a presence and say as part of the globally connected community.”