Conservative principles such as limited government and freedom of speech are currently under attack, with some in Congress threatening to dictate which apps Americans can or cannot have on their phones through legislation such as the RESTRICT Act. This does not bode well for the future of the Republican Party. Giving in to the temptation to ban TikTok would have lasting repercussions and create a dangerous precedent, not to mention the constitutional concerns it would create. 

Frankly, it does not matter which company owns an online platform or where that platform is based. What matters is where it is being used. The U.S. government should not be allowed to keep Americans from accessing websites, apps or other social media platforms. It is my belief that China remains one of our greatest adversaries, and we must ensure that Americans’ data is kept secure and private. Banning TikTok would not achieve this goal. It would, however, undermine our constitutional principles.

Whether we like it or not, Americans’ data is already available online. Many websites and apps track our locations, browsing history, scrolling patterns, and the personal data we willingly provide when signing up for these platforms. Many companies are, unfortunately, irresponsible stewards of this data or have fallen prey to cybersecurity attacks. According to a recent Identity Theft Resource Center report, a record number of U.S. data breaches occurred in 2021 — and this trend will certainly continue in 2023 and beyond.

This does not mean that we should ban Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft or any of the other companies that have had their users’ data exposed. Can you imagine how our country would change if we censored applications this way? In my opinion, it’s Republicans who would take the blame, not Democrats.

According to TikTok, 150 million Americans are on the app. Of these, over 40 percent are between 18 and 40. The opportunity to reach such a concentrated pool of young voters is unprecedented, and Democrats are reaping the rewards.

Banning an app that millions of voters use would further alienate the Republican Party from the generations who will control elections for decades to come. These are the very voters we most need to engage. The alternative is to ignore the First Amendment and rewrite the Constitution to give more power to Congress. The hard, simple truth is that banning TikTok is censorship. Moving down this path is dangerous. 

2024 is an enormous test but also a tremendous opportunity for Republicans. After four years under a president who I believe has driven our economy into the ground, will we show the American people how a Republican president can restore our country, or will we play into Democrats’ hands by opening the door for censorship? The Republican Party can embrace these new ways to engage voters and show them why our party is one of prosperity, freedom and family.

We need to win, and we need to win the American way. That means protecting individuals’ freedom to use their preferred social media platforms. Leave the censorship to China, Russia, and North Korea.

Let’s do what’s right and build a stronger GOP in the process.

Dean Heller served as a Republican member of the United States Senate, House of Representatives, Nevada secretary of state and Nevada assemblyman.

The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to [email protected].