Billionaire McCourt says he’s making bid for TikTok to make internet safer

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE FUTURE OF TIKTOK IS UNCLEAR AFTER PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED A LAW IN APRIL FORCING THE APP’S PARENT COMPANY TO SELL BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR. 

ONE BILLIONAIRE WANTS TO MAKE A BID – AND SAYS HE’S DOING IT ON BEHALF OF AMERICAN FAMILIES. 

FRANK MCCOURT IS PUSHING FORWARD IN HIS PURSUIT OF THE SOCIAL PLATFORM. HE ANNOUNCED IN MAY HE WANTS TO BUY TIKTOK THROUGH HIS COMPANY – PROJECT LIBERTY. AND RECENTLY HE’S BEEN SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE REASONS WHY. 

ACCORDING TO ITS WEBSITE – PROJECT LIBERTY IS DEDICATED TO BUILDING A STRONGER, HEALTHIER INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE.

MCCOURT HAS BEEN OUTSPOKEN ABOUT THE HARMS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE INTERNET HAVE ON FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.

MCCOURT SPOKE TO BLOOMBERG ABOUT HIS QUEST TO ACQUIRE THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY.

[FRANK MCCOURT]

WE HAVE A BROKEN INTERNET AND ALSO, AS THE FATHER OF SEVEN CHILDREN, I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON OUT THERE.

THE INTERNET HAS BEEN COLONIZED. IT’S ESSENTIALLY FIE BIG COMPANIES THAT NOW OWN IT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY OWN US. THEY OWN AND CONTROL OUR DATA.

MCCOURT NOT ONLY WANTS TO ACQUIRE TIKTOK – BUT ALSO CHANGE THE INTERNET TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR DIGITAL IDENTITIES AND DATA.

[FRANK MCCOURT]

AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE OUR DATA IS OUR PERSONHOOD. MAKE NO MISTAKE. THESE PLATFORMS KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT US AND THEY USE IT TO MAKE MONEY, THEY USE IT TO FEED US INFORMATION AND WE’RE LEARNING NOW, THEY’RE USING IT TO HARM KIDS AS WELL SO THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM I THINK WE ALL NEED TO ADDRESS WITH GREAT URGENCY.

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

AND HE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE CONCERNED.

AS CONGRESS BELIEVES AMERICANS’ DATA IS BEING SHARED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

BYTEDANCE HAS FILED SUIT AGAINST THE U-S GOVERNMENT TO BLOCK THE LAW FROM TAKING EFFECT – AND ITS CEO HAS TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF CONGRESS SAYING THE COMPANY DOES NOT SHARE USER INFORMATION WITH THE CCP.

THE CEO HAS ALSO SAID IT WOULD RATHER FACE A U-S BAN THAN SELL THE SOCIAL MEDIA APP.

 I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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