Joint Statement from U.S. based Fight for the Future and China-based GreatFire on Banning TikTok

In two days, barring any interference from the Supreme Court or the executive branch, the clock runs out on TikTok. Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company, must either sell to a U.S. company or shut down operations. This law will go into effect amidst widespread opposition, not only from creators and users, but from digital rights, free expression, and human rights groups, like U.S.-based Fight for the Future and China-based GreatFire.

Fight for the Future has been campaigning against the U.S. TikTok ban for years, pushing thousands of calls and emails to Congress against this ban through DontBanTikTok.com

As the U.S. government moves closer to potentially banning TikTok, Fight for the Future and GreatFire jointly express their opposition to this move. A ban on TikTok would undermine democratic values, validate authoritarian censorship tactics, and fail to address real threats to national security and user privacy.

Instead of pursuing censorship, lawmakers must prioritize meaningful reforms that protect digital rights and uphold freedom of expression. We also support the latest efforts led by Senator Ed Markey to extend the deadline for the TikTok ban, as highlighted in Fight for the Future’s recent post, emphasizing the need for thoughtful deliberation over hasty action.

“When analyzing China’s App Store, we saw firsthand how censorship creates a digital ecosystem completely isolated from the rest of the world. Chinese users are more digitally disconnected than ever, with limited access to global platforms and perspectives. By adopting similar tactics, the U.S. risks fragmenting the global internet and repeating the mistakes of authoritarian regimes,” said Benjamin Ismail, Director of GreatFire’s App Censorship Project.

“This case is reminiscent of the EU’s 2022 ban on RT and Sputnik, which had precisely the consequences we warned about. The ban left EU civil society in the dark about the narratives these media were presenting, failed to effectively address Russian propaganda, and instead provided justification for further actions by Russia,” Ismail added.

Governments often decried by the U.S. government for their efforts to censor the free flow of information online, like the Chinese Communist Party and the Kremlin, have long justified their own censorship by pointing to similar actions in democratic nations. The message becomes: “You ban TikTok, we ban Twitter; we’re all the same.” By forcing compliance with the TikTok ban, the US government also establishes a precedent for companies like Apple and Google to comply with censorship orders, both in the US and elsewhere, normalizing their role in government-led censorship of all kinds.

“TikTok going dark serves no one’s interest but authoritarian regimes. It disrupts the lives of creators, pushes users toward unsafe alternatives, and reinforces Big Tech’s monopoly by eliminating competition,” said Evan Greer (she/they), director of Fight for the Future.

Even if you ignore the blatant censorship and suppression that the TikTok ban represents, history shows that banning apps is rarely effective. Users will migrate to alternative platforms, as U.S. TikTok users are already doing by downloading RedNote or Xiaohongshu (小红书) in large numbers. Worse, bad actors may exploit users looking for workarounds, exposing them to spyware and malware disguised as “solutions.” A ban on TikTok would create new vulnerabilities, without solving any existing problems.

Instead of censorship, lawmakers should address the real issues:

1. Pass Comprehensive Privacy Legislation: TikTok’s data practices are no worse than those of Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. The true solution is to regulate how all tech companies collect, store, and share data.
2. Enact Antitrust Reforms: Empower users by addressing Big Tech’s dominance and fostering a competitive digital environment. Promoting fair market practices and supporting smaller platforms can help reduce susceptibility to government or corporate manipulation.
3. Demand Transparency: Require all platforms, not just TikTok, to disclose how their algorithms function and who influences them. Transparency, not censorship, is the key to combating disinformation.

We cannot respond to surveillance and censorship with more of the same. Instead, let’s seize this moment to advance real solutions: protect user privacy, regulate tech monopolies, and ensure an open internet for all.