Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian isn’t backing down from his opinions on the potential TikTok ban in the United States
In an Instagram post on Thursday that has 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” when it comes to the social media app and how it is used in the country. .
“No American social media company is allowed to operate in China, so as a matter of reciprocity, why do we allow a Chinese-owned social media company to operate in America?,” he asked viewers. “I don’t think it should be banned, I think it should be sold.”
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Ohanian speculated on which companies or media conglomerates could potentially take control, citing Amazon, Walmart and even Meta as options.
But Ohanian would prefer someone who isn’t among the “tech elite.”
“There are a lot of people who are very interested in buying TikTok who aren’t already part of the social media tech elite who would be great candidates and I hope that’s the outcome we get,” he said.
Earlier this week, a bipartisan bill called the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” passed 352-65 in the House, which would require TikTok to separate from Chinese-run ByteDance within six months or ban it usage in the United States.
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The bill will pass the Senate and, if approved, will end up on the desk of US President Joe Biden, who has indicated that he will sign it.
“We hope the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, seven million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a declaration earlier this week.