Banning TikTok - H.R. 7521

[solutions]

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---------------------------- Original Message -----------------------------
Subject: Your Seemingly-Cavalier Attitude Toward TikTok
From: Solutions
Date: Mon April 15, 2024 10:41 am PDT
To: ReadingLiberally-SaltLake@johnkarls.com
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Dear John,

I have now read your Suggested Discussion Outline featured in Saturday's weekly e-mail.

Frankly, I am surprised by your seemingly cavalier attitude toward TikTok.

Could you please explain why TikTok does not merit one of our “Six Degrees of Separation E-mail Campaigns” to get it banned?

Your friend,

Solutions


---------------------------- Original Message -----------------------------
Subject: Re: My Seemingly-Cavalier Attitude Toward TikTok
From: ReadingLiberally-SaltLake@johnkarls.com
Date: Mon April 15, 2024 2:11 pm MDT
To: Solutions
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Dear Solutions,

Thank you very much for your e-mail.

I am appalled by Blood Money’s description of TikTok, especially –

(1) how TikTok prides itself in being (and, indeed, markets itself to American children as) a SECRET “parent free” website that the child’s parents are not able to monitor or even be aware of the child’s usage. [Page 123.]

[Presumably the PRC took note how popular with children Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel “The SECRET Garden” was – being made into a Broadway Musical which premiered in 1991 and ran for 709 performances before being made into a movie in 1993, and then into another movie in 2020.]

(2) how TikTok’s messaging is “precision communication” specific to the particular child based on the philosophy that “to persuade a group, [TikTok] needs to make their propaganda messaging unique to each member of that group.” [Page 124.]

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However, banning TikTok does NOT appear to need our support.

On 3/13/2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a 352-65 bi-partisan vote H.R. 7521 that would force China to sell TikTok within 6 months or have it banned in the U.S.

And President Biden has announced that he will sign it into law.

Nevertheless, if you and tomorrow evening’s meeting participants think Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and/or Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) who chairs the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation where H.R. 7521 currently resides, need nudging to bring it to the floor, I would not object.

Thank you again for your e-mail.

Your friend,

John K.

[solutions]

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---------------------------- Original Message -----------------------------
Subject: Banning TikTok – H.R. 7521
From: ReadingLiberally-SaltLake@johnkarls.com
Date: Tue April 16, 2024 9:43 pm MDT
To: Solutions
Attachment:
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Dear Solutions,

Thank you again for your inquiry re banning TikTok.

Further investigation indicates that despite a 352-65 bi-partisan vote approving H.R. 7521 in the House of Representatives on 3/13/2024 and President Biden’s widely-reported commitment to sign it if Congress passes it, H.R. 7521 was referred 3/14/2024 to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

And per that Committee’s own website, the Committee has done nothing vis-à-vis H.R. 7521.

Even though the Committee’s own website says its Chair, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), released the following statement on 3/20/2024 regarding AN ENITRELY UNRELATED BILL - H.R. 7520, the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act, which passed the House 3/20/3024 -

“Data brokers’ sale of Americans’ most sensitive information to our foreign adversaries is wrong and damages our national security. I’m encouraged by this bipartisan effort by Representatives McMorris Rodgers and Pallone to protect Americans’ personal data – especially that of our servicemembers – from being exploited by foreign adversaries.”

Accordingly, you appear to be correct that it is time to “build a fire” under Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (and her committee members) vis-à-vis H.R. 7521.

Though if we are going to importune so many people, it is respectfully suggested that our traditional “Six Degrees of Separation E-mail” Campaigns would NOT be appropriate because that would be expecting our 229 members and their friends/acquaintances in an unending chain EACH TO E-MAIL 28 SENATORS (Sen. Schumer and the 14 majority Committee members and 13 minority Committee members).

In such situations, we have found it more effective to send USPS Certified-Mail letters to each of the recipients and post on our website, with a sample letter, the USPS Certified-Mail tracking numbers for each recipient.

[If a particular letter is assigned to the most-junior intern in the office of one of the recipients and the intern puts it in the proverbial “circular file,” nonetheless all of the recipients usually become aware quickly of the letters they received because colleagues will be talking about the letters – and often the media will be asking them questions about it.]

Your friend,

John

BTW, the text of H.R 7521 is available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-con ... /7521/text.