The American Civil Liberties Union has rediscovered its love of the First Amendment, but only when it comes to protecting Chinese spyware apps.

The ACLU is urging Congress not to ban TikTok because it would violate “the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans who use the app to communicate and express themselves daily.” According to the ACLU, “in a purported attempt to protect the data of U.S. persons from Chinese government acquisition, this legislation will instead limit Americans’ political discussion, artistic expression, free exchange of ideas — and even prevent people from posting cute animal videos and memes.” (Emphasis added).

Won’t someone think of the cute animal videos?

TIKTOK RESTRICTS TEENAGER SCREEN TIME AS IT FACES THREAT OF NATIONAL BAN

While there is some debate over whether the bill proposed by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) is overbroad, the question of TikTok is very clear. Banning it is not a “purported attempt” to keep Americans’ data out of the hand of the Chinese Communist Party. The app is Chinese spyware working on behalf of that nation's genocidal government. It bypasses Apple and Google protections to funnel data to its parent company, ByteDance, which is required by law to share that data with the Chinese Communist Party. ByteDance itself even uses this data to surveil Americans.

So, for those keeping track, the ACLU is in favor of pronoun policing. It is in favor of government-compelled speech when it comes to baking wedding cakes. The organization has entirely backed down from several of its formerly principled and First Amendment-inspired positions on campaign finance, religious businesses, religious freedom, and the right to assemble. In those areas, the First Amendment has taken a back seat at ACLU to regurgitating partisan left-wing talking points and policy positions.

But the “American Civil Liberties Union” has at least found the time to lobby on behalf of Chinese government spyware! Because hey, where else would Americans be able to find cute animal videos? You know, other than YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, etc., etc.....

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TikTok is not just some run-of-the-mill social media app that happens to be related to China. The app’s privacy abuses and ties to the Chinese Communist Party are well documented. It is not a First Amendment violation to ban spyware from a hostile, genocidal regime just because Americans like the funny videos that the spyware shows them.

Everyone knows the ACLU gave up on caring about actual civil rights issues years ago, but it would be nice if it just pretended to care as much about, say, religious freedom as it does about protecting the global Communist Chinese surveillance apparatus.