Thune rebuts constitutionality concerns over his TikTok ban bill

Hardline conservatives says measure runs counter to First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments

U.S. Sen. John Thune’s calls to ban TikTok in the United States has brought with them a flurry of criticisms that his bill violates Americans’ constitutional rights.

But South Dakota’s senior senator this week pushed back, saying opposition against the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act he introduced in March is rooted in misinformation.

While critics like Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson and hardline conservative groups characterize the RESTRICT Act as overly broad and far-reaching, Thune contends the measure is “narrowly defined” and does nothing to target individual American citizens.

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