Nebraska Panhandle News

U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts has expressed his approval following the Supreme Court's decision in the case of TikTok Inc v. Garland. The court ruled unanimously to uphold a law that mandates ByteDance, TikTok's parent company based in China, to sell the popular social media platform.

Ricketts emphasized the implications of Chinese laws on companies like ByteDance, stating, "Under Chinese law, all Chinese companies must do the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party. Last year, Congress acted, requiring TikTok to be sold within 270 days. The fact that the CCP has refused to sell tells you everything. They want to continue pushing their propaganda and spying on Americans."

The senator noted that this decision underscores the importance of national security and aligns with congressional intent: "Today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision sends a clear message that the bipartisan will of Congress must not be subverted. America’s national security comes first."

Ricketts has been vocal about his concerns regarding TikTok's impact on American privacy and security. In 2020, he was the first governor to prohibit TikTok on state devices. He also supported legislation aimed at protecting Americans from applications controlled by foreign adversaries and recently opposed an extension for ByteDance's sale timeline proposed by Senate Democrats.