Cory Booker Instagram – The Senate will soon vote on legislation that provides $95 billion in funding for urgent security needs and to meet the dire need for humanitarian assistance across the world. I will support this bill, even with its flaws, because it’s critical that the United States stand up to address global and democratic security issues and the immense and growing humanitarian needs around the world.
One of this bill’s flaws is a provision that would force a sale of TikTok. As written, I don’t support this provision, not because I don’t have concerns about TikTok or its ownership structure — I do — but because I worry that Congress is missing an opportunity to address larger issues with social media in general, from screen addiction, to social media’s negative effects on mental health, to the alarming impact it can have on the well-being of American children, to privacy, to the stunning proliferation of hate speech online, to its use for bullying and intimidation, to its toxic spread of misinformation, and more. Congress should work to address these broader issues in a separate bill and have a separate, full debate of these issues — not stick piecemeal riders onto a must-pass bill.
I worry now that the urgency to address the ills of these platforms will be diffused and our ability to come up with real, lasting solutions — while also protecting the benefits of these platforms — will be lost for some time.
I know people are frustrated. I am too. We must continue the work though. This is not the last word on these issues. | Posted on 23/Apr/2024 21:40:03
