AP reports: “Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says he’s putting together investor group to buy TikTok.” See from 2021 Axios: “Scoop: Israeli spy chief in talks to join Mnuchin’s investment fund” and from the Times of Israel: “Former U.S. treasurer Mnuchin leads $275 million funding in Israeli Cybereason.” In January, the Jerusalem Post ran the piece “Time to invest in Israel, says former U.S. treasury secretary Mnuchin.”
Craig Mokhiber, former director of the New York office of the UN High Commission on Human Rights stated: “They are not trying to ban #TikTok. They are trying to use government power to force TikTok to be taken over by pro-Israel ownership to silence criticism of #Genocide and #apartheid.” The Wall Street Journal recently reported of the bill targeting TikTok: “It was slow going until Oct. 7.”
JAMES REHWALD, rehwald15@gmail.com
Rehwald has over 400,000 followers on TikTok. He said today: “This bill is nothing but an attempt to censor young Americans’ progressive political education, activism, and organizing under the guise of protecting national security. The U.S.-backed Israeli genocide of Palestinians exposed on TikTok and the abundance of pro-Palestinian content has renewed calls for tighter imperialist control of the narrative while protecting U.S. monopoly capitalist interests.”
JAMES RAY, jimray598@gmail.com
Ray has over 400,000 followers on TikTok at @jamesgetspolitical. He said today: “I think that the decision to pass legislation that could lead to a ban of TikTok and really any website that the U.S. deems necessary is a step that results from several overlapping factors.” The sale would be “a windfall for the investors involved in the buy. …”
“The historic institutional players are seeing their grasp on information weaken in the midst of a platform that gives people the easy ability to spread information that might not (and in some cases most certainly would never) be covered or covered accurately by traditional media giants. That weakening of the grip of information distribution also likely is on the minds of many U.S. politicians who on both sides of the aisle are likely threatened by a platform that circumvents their traditional channels. …
“Palestine also very much so in my mind plays a role in this discussion as well. … With the typical Zionist attack dogs like Senator John Fetterman of PA openly and vocally taking a break from tweeting about Hamas to clarify his support for the ban legislation. When the typical Zionist allies are circling the wagon it’s more or less a dead giveaway. …
“The fact that Bytedance is a Chinese company only makes it easier for them because they can justify their support for this draconian legislation with the typical sinophobic handwringing we’ve come to expect from Washington.”
RICCI SERGIENKO, ricci@rootsaction.org, @Roots_Action
Ricci Sergienko is with RootsAction, which notes “Well… who is the #1 contributor to the TikTok ban bill’s author, Rep. Mike Gallagher? That’s right — AIPAC. …
“‘We have a major TikTok problem. A Gen-Z problem.’ Leaked audio of ADL chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt freaking out because global youth aren’t buying Israel’s propaganda anymore. THIS is why they’re trying to ban Tiktok. …
“This legislation’s practical ban on TikTok would constitute a serious First Amendment violation and an infringement upon free speech. This does very little to address broader concerns about privacy rights, as U.S. based social media companies extensively violate those rights.”
