(Hypebot) — Musician, artist advocate, and founder of #IResepectMusic, Blake Morgan, cuts through the TikTok mania to offer a musician’s view of legislation that overwhelmingly passed the US. House and is currently being debated in the Senate.
by Blake Morgan via The Trichordist
Here’s a musician’s perspective on the TikTok legislation before Congress: I hope it passes, both as an American, and as a music maker. (The bill is “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, (HR 7521),” It was recently introduced by Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-Wi.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.). The bill passed the House by a vote of 352-65, demonstrating deep bipartisan support)
First––this bill restricts TikTok, it does not “ban” the app. It forces the company to separate its ties to the Chinese Communist Party and prevents them from accessing the data of Americans. That’s a good thing.
The bill doesn’t mandate or regulate speech, it’s focused on national security: the FCC called TikTok “a clear and present danger” to our country.
Second––music makers already know what music lovers are just now learning: TikTok is the worst, most exploitative streaming platform for music, anywhere. The vast majority of music on TikTok generates virtually no revenue for the musicians who made it, and even more music on the platform is completely unlicensed (stolen), copied (stolen via AI), or pirated (stolen).
Simply put, TikTok is trying to build a music-based business without paying music makers fair value for the music.
Lastly––musicians (and Americans) are all too familiar with being underpaid and undervalued, with our data being scraped and sold, with platforms which promote hate speech, bigotry, and bullying.
But TikTok does all of this and more, while posing an existential national security threat to our country.
It’s rare to see independent musicians (like me) stand with major labels, and it’s rare to see Republicans and Democrats stand together about anything. But here we are. I hope it passes the Senate and that President Biden signs it.
