ティックトック禁止法案、下院で可決 利用者は反発 米

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米下院本会議は１３日、中国系動画投稿アプリ「ティックトック（ＴｉｋＴｏｋ）」の米国内での使用禁止につながる法案を可決した。これに対しアプリのユーザーからは、常識を疑うといった反対の声が上がっている。（写真は資料写真）
　米下院は、ティックトックが中国共産党とのつながりの疑いがあるとして、中国の親会社が米国事業を分離売却しない限り米国での利用を禁止するとした法案を可決した。ティックトック側は、中国政府とのつながりがあるとの指摘についてははっきりと否定している。
　中国外務省報道官は下院での可決について、法案は自由競争や国際的な経済や貿易のルールに反しており、「盗賊の論理だ」と強く非難した。
　法案は今後、上院で審議される。ジョー・バイデン米大統領は法案が両院で可決されれば署名すると述べている。
　２９万人近くのフォロワーを持つティックトック動画配信者（ティックトッカー）のアリエラ・エルムさんは、首都ワシントンのホワイトハウスの外でＡＦＰに対し、「もし議会で指摘されていることが本当に問題なのであれば、思いつきだけで米国の政治を変える力を持っているＸ（旧ツイッター）のイーロン・マスク氏についても同じことを問わなくてはならない」と指摘した。
　同アプリで生活関連情報を発信しているスティーブン・キングさんも、もし米国でティックトックが禁止されたら、政治家から企業家、十代の若者まで、数百万人という人が打撃を受けるだろうと話す。キングさんには６８０万人のフォロワーがいる。
　また、今年１８歳になったばかりだというティックトッカーのネイサン・エスピノザさんは、この法案を支持した議員は、今後の選挙を通じてユーザーからの怒りを買っていることを知り「大きなショック」を受けるだろうと話した。「自分も今年から投票できる年齢。同世代の多くがこの法案に反対している」
　一方、一部のＴｉｋＴｏｋユーザーからは、国家安全保障の観点だけでなく、個々の利用者保護につながる可能性もあるとして、法案を支持するとの声も上がっている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/03/14-20:38）

TikTok creators voiced outrage Wednesday over proposed legislation that could scuttle the platform in the United States, saying it defies common sense and financial wisdom.
The House of Representatives approved a bill that would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner or be banned over its alleged links to the Communist Party in Beijing.
If it was really about all the things they were saying, then we would be having this conversation with (X owner) Elon Musk, who basically could change American politics at a whim, TikTok creator Ariella Elm told AFP outside the White House.
Elm, a self-described political activist, has some 287,000 followers on TikTok.
President Joe Biden says he would sign the bill into law if it came to his desk, but the bill must make it through the Senate first.
It's a big possibility that it could be banned, which is crazy, fellow TikTok creator Nathan Espinoza, whose uses the handle 'beowulftiktok', told AFP. Lawmakers don't understand how huge of an issue this is.
My entire comment section of videos that I've posted about this topic are just flooded with an overwhelmingly negative response, where people are not happy with it at all.
TikTok has been adamant that the Chinese government does not pull its strings.
A lot of these lawmakers are making it sound like it's just full of Chinese propaganda or it's full of messages from the Chinese Communist Party, Espinoza said.
But for me, it's actually been the only social media where I've seen an even representation of all sides of politics.
- Young users, young voters -
TikTok plays a major role in the digital media industry and when it comes to marketing, particularly for small businesses, Espinoza reasoned.
Millions of people from politicians to teenagers and entrepreneurs would feel the blow if TikTok was shut down in the United States, agreed lifestyle content creator Steven King, whose 'btypep' account has 6.8 million followers.
There is no sense of community on any other platform in comparison to what TikTok has created, King said.
Summer Lucille, whose TikTok account dubbed Juicy Body Goddess has 1.4 million followers, described the platform as rich with raw information in real time and having a recommendation algorithm like gold.
Espinoza, who recently turned 18 years old, also believes elected officials backing the bill will be in for a big shock with he and his TikTok-loving demographic express their ire at the ballot box.
This is my first-year voting and a lot of people my age are against this TikTok ban, Espinoza said.
Some TikTok users, however, told AFP they are open to legislation that could protect them as well as defend national security.
The addiction aspect of it is something we don't really talk about, Victor Pelatere, a 20-year-old Boston resident, told AFP.
The whole TikTok brain rot idea -- massive dopamine spikes and no attention span -- those kinds of things are good for banning.
Annmarie Fitzgerald, 22 of Boston, was among those who spoke of perhaps using TikTok too much.
Think about a couple of years ago, we didn't have it. It'll be OK if we don't have it again, she said.