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The US government wants TikTok banned because it’s lost control of the narrative

The US government’s threat to ban TikTok is a massive attempt at censorship. For the country’s corrupt political establishment to keep its power, media control is essential. And amid the social-media livestreaming of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, it was clear the establishment had lost control of the narrative. It couldn’t manufacture mass public support for its ally’s atrocious war crimes. So something had to change. That’s why it targeted TikTok, the only social-media giant not under the control of the US-based super-rich.

The US media on the whole carried water for Israel as its genocide developed in late 2023. Facebook owner Meta, meanwhile, loyally helped to manufacture consent for the genocide. But TikTok reflected the sentiment of its millions of users. As Vox reported:

 It is an app dominated by young people, and young people happen to sympathize with Palestine.

The overwhelming majority of the US political establishment, however, is pro-Israel. And it’s felt very uncomfortable about people sympathising with the Palestinian people during Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. It was initially Republicans pushing for a TikTok ban during Donald Trump’s first administration. But it was the Gaza genocide that really brought Democrats along for the ride too.

TikTok was already a target. But Israel’s genocide was the gamechanger.

Award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald made it clear just how important the US losing control of the narrative over Israel was in the battle against TikTok, saying:

Every serious news account of how this “ban TikTok bill” suddenly gained momentum – seemingly out of nowhere – emphasizes Oct. 7, when Bipartisan DC became enraged so many Americans were allowed to criticize Israel.

He also highlighted the role that prominent pro-Israel lobbyists like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) played in pushing TikTok up the agenda. ADL’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has long conflated opposition to Israel’s settler-colonial violence with antisemitism. This is wrong and dangerous, but a common strategy of the pro-Israel lobby. And Greenwald highlighted how Greenblatt’s comments about TikTok marked a change in pace in the political establishment’s battle against the social-media giant.

In leaked audio, Greenblatt said:

The issue of United States support for Israel is not left and right. It is young and old.

And referring to TikTok’s immense popularity among younger demographics, he insisted:

We really have a TikTok problem, a Gen Z problem

Another key pro-Israel lobby group is the the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has massive power in US politics. And as Truthout reported:

Vocal proponents of a TikTok ban are among the top recipients of donations from the pro-Israeli lobby group AIPAC.

Israel isn’t the only reason the US political establishment wants to counter TikTok’s power. But its loss of control of the narrative amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza was, without a doubt, a significant catalyst in pushing it to act.

Featured image via the Canary

By Ed Sykes

This post was originally published on Canary.