“Patriot Act on steroids”: Left and right unite against "fear-mongering" TikTok ban

First off, let's be clear on one thing: The supposed "TikTok ban" bill — aka the bipartisan Restrict Act (S.686) — does not actually ban TikTok. The word "TikTok" does not appear once in the bill's 55 pages. But critics of the Restrict Act on the left and right are now sounding the alarm in rare alignment — calling the measure a Patriot Act 2.0 which opens the door to unprecedented digital surveillance of Americans, and gives an appointed executive panel unchecked power to censor the internet in the U.S.

Even though the measure has been temporarily stalled in the Senate after it created a contentious rift within both parties, a number of bills are floating around with similar language. As might be expected, TikTok itself has been overflowing with user videos firing back at the legislation and its ilk, including those from conservative media voices, along with those from progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. 

Digital rights advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation issued a sober rebuke of the legislation Thursday, saying the measure fails to protect private user information.