Stop RESTRICT Act Threat to
Free Speech
A bill designed to ban TikTok gives the government far-reaching powers to continue its campaign against free speech and expression. Action Alert!
It’s a scenario that’s played itself out countless times in history: under the guise of “protecting” us, the government wants to take away key liberties. The latest assault comes in the form of the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act. The bill is supposed to address the threat of TikTok and other information and communication technology platforms owned by China or other “foreign adversaries.” Whether you believe TikTok should be banned or not, this bill is a massive overreach designed to give the federal government more power over how we communicate. When understood in the context of all the other assaults on free speech and scientific inquiry at almost every level, this bill’s threat becomes that much more significant and dangerous.
Broadly speaking, the bill gives the federal government the power to restrict or ban information and communications services—as well as transactions of those businesses—owned or based in countries considered “foreign adversaries.” The bill allows the government to investigate foreign companies, and those they interact with, to determine if they pose a “national security threat.” The Secretary of Commerce then gives an assessment to the President of what should be done to mitigate the threat, and the President carries out the remedy. The bill also limits judicial oversight and review over these executive and agency actions.
This applies to desktop and mobile apps, gaming apps, payment apps, services integral to artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology companies, and more. It does not apply to US companies but can apply to transactions between US companies and those owned by “foreign adversaries.”
Proponents of the bill claim that individuals shouldn’t be concerned because the focus of the legislation is on “companies like Kaspersky, Huawei and TikTok that create systemic risks to the United States’ national security.” Yet a close reading of the bill suggests otherwise.
One of the fundamental changes brought about by the pandemic was a renewed zeal for censoring free speech under the guise of halting the spread of “misinformation.” Spreading scientific “misinformation” about COVID was a threat to public health, the narrative goes, so authoritarian tactics were justified to silence the dissenters. This censorship wasn’t just aimed at the “tin-foil hat” crowd, but extended to anyone who questioned the prevailing narratives—even highly credentialed doctors, scientists, and researchers. The FTC and the FDA launched a massive censorship campaign during the pandemic, sending warning letters to doctors and clinics discussing the benefits of basic natural medicines like zinc and vitamins D and C for COVID treatment and prevention. Doctors recommending any COVID treatments outside of vaccines are being
threatened by state medical boards.