•      "H.R. 7521[nationwide TikTok ban bill] is censorship — plain and simple. In a purported attempt to protect the data of U.S. residents from Chinese government acquisition, this legislation would forbid app stores and internet hosting services from offering TikTok so long as the company remains under foreign ownership. Passing this legislation would trample on the constitutional right to freedom of speech of millions of people in the United States. TikTok is home to massive amounts of protected speech and association: it enables its users to discuss their opinions, share their hobbies, make art, and access news from down the street and around the world. Jeopardizing access to the platform jeopardizes access to free expression…Banning or requiring divestiture of TikTok would also set an alarming global precedent for excessive government control over social media platforms. The United States has rightfully condemned other countries when they have banned specific social media platforms, criticizing these efforts as infringing on the rights of their citizens. 4 If the United States now bans a foreign-owned platform, that will invite copycat measures by other countries, banning American-owned speech intermediaries and companies from operating in their borders, with significant consequences for free expression globally." Source: American Civil Liberties Union 

•    "Legislation like this would not be effective in protecting Americans’ data and privacy. Every Big Tech company, both foreign and domestic, mines and sells our data for their own profits. We need to focus on cracking down on surveillance capitalism and predatory algorithms that harm our kids. I, along with millions of others, especially young people, use TikTok as a place to interact with my community in a positive, uplifting way. We need to protect our young people’s right to free expression, and banning TikTok only silences their valuable voices. This is not about defending TikTok as a company, and we need strong regulation that applies to every social media platform in order to protect our data and our children." Source: Rep. Jamaal Bowman (Democrat, New York, District 16)

•    "We’re disappointed that so many states are jumping on the political bandwagon to enact policies that will do nothing to advance cybersecurity in their states and are based on unfounded falsehoods about TikTok...We’re especially sorry to see the unintended consequences of these rushed policies beginning to impact universities’ ability to share campus-wide information, recruit students, and build communities around athletic teams, student groups, campus publications, and more." Source: Brook Oberwetter (Head of Global Security, TikTok)