Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian doesn't hold back on his opinion on possible TikTok ban in the US
In an Instagram post Thursday that has now been viewed more than 8,200 times, Ohanian explained that he has been “advocating for something to happen for the last three or four years” regarding social media apps and their use in the country. .
“U.S. social media companies are not allowed to operate in China, so why would you let a Chinese-owned social media company operate in the U.S. as a form of reciprocity?” he asked viewers. “I don't think it should be banned, but I think it should be sold.”
Related: Will TikTok be banned in the US?Here's what we know so far
Ohanian hypothesized which companies or media conglomerates could potentially take control, citing Amazon, Walmart, and even Meta as options.
But Ohanian would prefer someone who is not part of the “tech elite.”
“There are a lot of people who are very interested in acquiring TikTok, and even though they're not already part of the social media technology elite, they're great candidates and we hope that's the result we get. “There is,” he said.
Earlier this week, a bipartisan bill called the Protecting Americans from Regulatory Applications by Foreign Adversaries Act passed 352-65 in the House of Representatives, requiring TikTok to separate from Chinese-operated ByteDance within six months. otherwise it would be banned from use in the United States.
Related: TikTok CEO named honorary chairman at 2024 Met Gala
The bill will now go to the Senate and, if passed, to the desk of US President Joe Biden, who has indicated he intends to sign it.
A TikTok spokesperson said, “The Senate considered the facts, listened to voters, and recognized the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our services. We hope you will,” a TikTok spokesperson said. statement Early this week.