Should the United States ban or force the sale of TikTok? What are the implications for free speech? 

In mid-April 2024, the United States Congress passed legislation that gave ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, 270 days to sell TikTok or it would be banned in the United States. In response, TikTok filed a lawsuit declaring the legislation unconstitutional on a number of free speech grounds. And it’s currently making its way through the courts.

What are the compelling arguments for and against a potential ban or forced sale? Is it constitutional?

The Guests

Evan Greer is a Director at Fight For the Future, an advocacy organization focused on technology and free expression. She writes for major publications including The Guardian, Time, and Newsweek. And…we should add that Evan is also a musician who has performed with artists such as Pete Seeger, Talib Kweli, and Dispatch.

Sam Lessin is a partner at Slow Ventures, a venture capital firm based in the Bay Area. He is also the co-host of More or Less, a podcast that analyzes the tech industry. Previously, Sam founded a number of tech companies and was the VP of Product at Facebook.

Show Notes

• Evaluating the legislation [2:47]
• The 1st Amendment [05:36]
• How independent is ByteDance? [11:17]
• Data collection [16:37]
• Is there a slippery slope? [17:28]
• Privacy protection [24:12]
• What will happen to TikTok after the legislation? [36:09]
• China’s interests [40:25]
• Young people and TikTok [46:50]
• Political factors [47:27]
• Steelmanning [50:04]