TikTok content is, right now, showing people the truth of how Palestinians are suffering at a time when respected outlets like the New York Times are specifically telling their staff to avoid words like “genocide”, “ethnic cleansing”, and occupied territory". TikTok content is showing the truth of ceasefire/pro-Palestine marches, and Jewish participation in those events, at a time when officials and media outlets are calling them violent and anti-Semitic. Videos on TikTok are providing unfiltered on-site coverage and interviews of the campus protests.
I don’t use TikTok because I hate the format. But I see value in a platform where the general population can share news without it having to get approval from an editor. It’s the same reason I’ve never said Facebook, Twitter/X, etc. should be banned, even when I see there are lots of posts I know are harmful.
It’s an issue of freedom of press/speech in modern times and organizations like the ACLU agree. “We’re deeply disappointed that our leaders are once again attempting to trade our First Amendment rights for cheap political points during an election year,” said Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. “Just because the bill sponsors claim that banning TikTok isn’t about suppressing speech, there’s no denying that it would do just that. We strongly urge legislators to vote no on this unconstitutional bill.”
TikTok content is, right now, showing people the truth of how Palestinians are suffering at a time when respected outlets like the New York Times are specifically telling their staff to avoid words like “genocide”, “ethnic cleansing”, and occupied territory". TikTok content is showing the truth of ceasefire/pro-Palestine marches, and Jewish participation in those events, at a time when officials and media outlets are calling them violent and anti-Semitic. Videos on TikTok are providing unfiltered on-site coverage and interviews of the campus protests.
I don’t use TikTok because I hate the format. But I see value in a platform where the general population can share news without it having to get approval from an editor. It’s the same reason I’ve never said Facebook, Twitter/X, etc. should be banned, even when I see there are lots of posts I know are harmful.
It’s an issue of freedom of press/speech in modern times and organizations like the ACLU agree. “We’re deeply disappointed that our leaders are once again attempting to trade our First Amendment rights for cheap political points during an election year,” said Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. “Just because the bill sponsors claim that banning TikTok isn’t about suppressing speech, there’s no denying that it would do just that. We strongly urge legislators to vote no on this unconstitutional bill.”