The TikTok Ban Debate: Patriot Act for the Digital Age or Only Way Forward?

The RESTRICT Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at cracking down on communications technology developed by foreign adversaries, has been criticized by activists and organizations for endangering basic American freedoms. While the bill is touted to stop foreign spying via apps like TikTok, many of its detractors suggest it would have far larger implications for civil liberties in the United States. The RESTRICT Act gives the executive branch the power to enforce any mitigation measure to address any risk regarding a current, past, or potential future transaction with what is deemed to be a foreign adversary.