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WASHINGTON— Two participants at the Young Jewish Conservative Inauguration Party Sunday evening echoed the sentiment of millions of Americans opposed to the U.S. ban on Tik Tok.
“I think people have the right to choose the platforms you want to be on and make a living,” said Benji Gershon, founder and president of American Jewish Conservatives, a group that formed in July to advance conservative values in the United States. “I don’t think it’s as hyped up as some might make it out to be when it comes to Chinese interference. I think we have bigger fish to fry.”
Apparently, so does President-elect Donald Trump, who pledged to pause the ban through executive order on Tuesday, his first day in office.
The Chinese-owned social media app, which provides service to approximately 170 million Americans and seven million businesses, shut down around 11 p.m. EST Saturday but restored service around 1 p.m. the following day, hours before the start of the conservative gala.
The law received bipartisan support when it was passed last year by U.S. legislators concerned about TikTok’s ties to China, a decision upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday.
“The fact that the Chinese government has some potential control over it is something I’m not a massive fan of,” said Jack Payne, a political researcher and business consultant from England who attended the inauguration gala. “But, I do think people should have a platform to be able to express themselves on.”
