TikTok to be blocked in Ukraine? Head of Committee on Freedom of Speech's comment
Will TikTok be blocked in Ukraine? (Getty Images)
There may be grounds for imposing sanctions to ban the use of the social network TikTok in Ukraine, according to Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, the head of the Committee on Freedom of Speech of the Verkhovna Rada, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
Responding to questions about the possibility of imposing similar sanctions on TikTok due to the situation in the United States, Yurchyshyn said that such grounds exist.
"If such sanctions are imposed in a partner country, we will impose them as well. It's all very complicated, but this could be another bargaining chip not only with TikTok but also with Telegram if the United States takes such a drastic step," said the head of the Committee on Freedom of Speech.
He said that the United States emphasizes that how the social network collects, processes, and uses users' personal data remains unknown.
"They understand that in the post-information age, this is a key resource, a key asset of a person. And if it is used outside the legal field, then ultimately it is not only the individual who suffers but also the state as a whole," Yurchyshyn emphasized, recalling that the situation is evolving despite the fairly high standards of freedom of speech in the United States.
As the head of the Committee on Freedom of Speech stressed, all processes and issues regarding restrictions on TikTok and Telegram in other countries, such as Spain and Norway, are currently being monitored.
At the same time, he said that in Scandinavian countries, in the event of appropriate decisions regarding the ban, "society there mainly doesn't do this."
"We are monitoring the process of restricting the use of artificial intelligence. We will now be adapting the Digital Service Act in Ukraine because it will be part of our European integration task. We will definitely move forward," Yurchyshyn summed up.
Blocking TikTok
Last year, many countries discussed banning TikTok. Restrictions on the use of the social network are planned in the UK, USA, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, and other countries. In some countries, there are also plans to ban the use of the application by government officials.
On March 6, it became known that lawmakers introduced a bill to the US Congress that would require the Chinese company ByteDance to divest TikTok to avoid banning the video app in the country.
On the other hand, President Joe Biden announced his readiness to sign a bill to restrict the operation of the social network.
It later became known that lawmakers of the House of Representatives of the US Congress supported a bill that could ban the TikTok in the country.
