January, 17 2025, 12:13pm EDT

Joint Statement from U.S. based Fight for the Future and China-based GreatFire on Banning TikTok
In two days, barring any interference from the Supreme Court or the executive branch, the clock runs out on TikTok. Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company, must either sell to a U.S. company or shut down operations. This law will go into effect amidst widespread opposition, not only from creators and users, but from digital rights, free expression, and human rights groups, like U.S.-based Fight for the Future and China-based GreatFire.
Fight for the Future has been campaigning against the U.S. TikTok ban for years, pushing thousands of calls and emails to Congress against this ban through DontBanTikTok.com
As the U.S. government moves closer to potentially banning TikTok, Fight for the Future and GreatFire jointly express their opposition to this move. A ban on TikTok would undermine democratic values, validate authoritarian censorship tactics, and fail to address real threats to national security and user privacy.
Instead of pursuing censorship, lawmakers must prioritize meaningful reforms that protect digital rights and uphold freedom of expression. We also support the latest efforts led by Senator Ed Markey to extend the deadline for the TikTok ban, as highlighted in Fight for the Future’s recent post, emphasizing the need for thoughtful deliberation over hasty action.
“When analyzing China’s App Store, we saw firsthand how censorship creates a digital ecosystem completely isolated from the rest of the world. Chinese users are more digitally disconnected than ever, with limited access to global platforms and perspectives. By adopting similar tactics, the U.S. risks fragmenting the global internet and repeating the mistakes of authoritarian regimes,” said Benjamin Ismail, Director of GreatFire’s App Censorship Project.
“This case is reminiscent of the EU’s 2022 ban on RT and Sputnik, which had precisely the consequences we warned about. The ban left EU civil society in the dark about the narratives these media were presenting, failed to effectively address Russian propaganda, and instead provided justification for further actions by Russia,” Ismail added.
Governments often decried by the U.S. government for their efforts to censor the free flow of information online, like the Chinese Communist Party and the Kremlin, have long justified their own censorship by pointing to similar actions in democratic nations. The message becomes: “You ban TikTok, we ban Twitter; we’re all the same.” By forcing compliance with the TikTok ban, the US government also establishes a precedent for companies like Apple and Google to comply with censorship orders, both in the US and elsewhere, normalizing their role in government-led censorship of all kinds.
“TikTok going dark serves no one’s interest but authoritarian regimes. It disrupts the lives of creators, pushes users toward unsafe alternatives, and reinforces Big Tech’s monopoly by eliminating competition,” said Evan Greer (she/they), director of Fight for the Future.
Even if you ignore the blatant censorship and suppression that the TikTok ban represents, history shows that banning apps is rarely effective. Users will migrate to alternative platforms, as U.S. TikTok users are already doing by downloading RedNote or Xiaohongshu (小红书) in large numbers. Worse, bad actors may exploit users looking for workarounds, exposing them to spyware and malware disguised as “solutions.” A ban on TikTok would create new vulnerabilities, without solving any existing problems.
Instead of censorship, lawmakers should address the real issues:
- Pass Comprehensive Privacy Legislation: TikTok’s data practices are no worse than those of Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. The true solution is to regulate how all tech companies collect, store, and share data.
- Enact Antitrust Reforms: Empower users by addressing Big Tech’s dominance and fostering a competitive digital environment. Promoting fair market practices and supporting smaller platforms can help reduce susceptibility to government or corporate manipulation.
- Demand Transparency: Require all platforms, not just TikTok, to disclose how their algorithms function and who influences them. Transparency, not censorship, is the key to combating disinformation.
We cannot respond to surveillance and censorship with more of the same. Instead, let’s seize this moment to advance real solutions: protect user privacy, regulate tech monopolies, and ensure an open internet for all.
Fight for the Future is a group of artists, engineers, activists, and technologists who have been behind the largest online protests in human history, channeling Internet outrage into political power to win public interest victories previously thought to be impossible. We fight for a future where technology liberates -- not oppresses -- us.
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Unions Cheer After Judge Halts Trump Order on Federal Workers' Collective Bargaining Rights
"Today's court order is a victory for federal employees, their union rights, and the American people they serve," said the head of the National Treasury Employees Union.
Apr 25, 2025
Labor unions representing federal workers celebrated on Friday after a U.S. district judge blocked President Donald Trump's March executive order intended to strip the collective bargaining rights from hundreds of thousands of government employees.
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) swiftly took action over what union national president Doreen Greenwald called "an attempt to silence the voices of our nation's public servants," filing a lawsuit in in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
Judge Paul Friedman, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, granted a preliminary injunction on Friday, blocking implementation of the executive order (EO), which aimed to restrict workers' rights under the guise of protecting national security.
CNNreported that during a Wednesday hearing, Friedman questioned "Trump's motive in issuing the order" and "the administration's contention that certain agencies have national security as their primary function, citing the National Institutes of Health, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Department of Agriculture."
Also reporting on the hearing earlier this week, Politicodetailed:
Attorneys representing the NTEU mentioned that the Trump administration, after issuing the EO, immediately sued an NTEU-affiliate union in Kentucky and Texas—federal districts dominated by Republican appointees.
Shortly after Friedman's hearing Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, who is hearing the government's case in Kentucky, denied a request from a local NTEU chapter to postpone oral arguments that are scheduled for Friday. Reeves is an appointee of President George W. Bush. A decision in those cases could affect the NTEU's lawsuit before Friedman.
Still, the NTEU welcomed Freidman's Friday decision to halt what it called an "anti-union, anti-federal employee executive order" while also preparing for the Trump administration to "quickly appeal."
"Today's court order is a victory for federal employees, their union rights, and the American people they serve," said Greenwald. "The preliminary injunction granted at NTEU's request means the collective bargaining rights of federal employees will remain intact and the administration's illegal agenda to sideline the voices of federal employees and dismantle unions is blocked."
"NTEU will continue to use every tool available to protect federal employees and the valuable services they provide from these hostile attacks on their jobs, their agencies, and their legally protected rights to organize," she pledged.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation's largest federal workers union, also applauded Friday's news.
"AFGE congratulates our union siblings at NTEU on their important victory in the D.C. District Court today," said national president Everett Kelley. "This ruling is a major step toward restoring the collective bargaining rights that federal employees are guaranteed under the law."
Kelley added that "AFGE looks forward to arguing our own case against this unlawful executive order in federal court. We are confident that, together, these efforts will secure the full relief federal employees deserve—and send a clear message that no administration is above the law."
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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders led congressional progressives on Friday in condemning the Trump administration's arrest of a county judge in Wisconsin for allegedly helping an undocumented man evade capture by federal immigration agents.
FBI agents arrested 65-year-old Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces felony charges of obstruction and concealing an individual, whom she is accused of giving refuge in her chambers as federal officers sought to arrest him.
In a statement accusing President Donald Trump of "illegally usurping congressional powers," Sanders (I-Vt.) said: "Let's be clear. Trump's arrest of Judge Dugan in Milwaukee has nothing to do with immigration. It has everything to do with his moving this country toward authoritarianism."
"Trump continues to demonstrate that he does not believe in the Constitution, the separation of powers, or the rule of law."
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"Trump's latest attack on the judiciary and Judge Dugan is about one thing—unchecked power," the senator asserted. "He will attack and undermine any institution that stands in his way. Trump continues to demonstrate that he does not believe in the Constitution, the separation of powers, or the rule of law. He simply wants more and more power for himself."
"It is time for my colleagues in the Republican Party who believe in the Constitution to stand up to his growing authoritarianism," Sanders added.
Other progressive lawmakers also condemned Dugan's arrest, with Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) calling this "a red alert moment" that we "all must rise against."
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said on the social media site X: "Judge Dugan's arrest is outrageous and a fear tactic to our independent judiciary. Trump has always thought he was above the law, but now he's enabling his goons to push that limit as far as it can go. His reckless deportations and flaunting of the Constitution will fail."
Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.)
said on social media that "arresting judges is the kind of crackdown you see in a police state."
"This is how dictators take power," Lee warned. "They manufacture crises, undermine our institutions, and erode our checks and balances. If they'll come for one, they'll come for all."
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said that "Trump's playbook is simple: punish anyone who stands in his way."
"This ain't law and order—it's a rise of authoritarianism in real time," she added.
The FBI arrested a Wisconsin judge who stood up for due process for immigrants. This is unprecedented. All of us need to stand up and speak out against arresting judges in this country. We are living in dangerous times.
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— Rep. Ro Khanna ( @khanna.house.gov) April 25, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Accusing the Trump administration of a "shocking" willingness to "weaponize federal law enforcement," Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) contended that the FBI "coming into a community and arresting a judge is a serious matter" that would require a "high legal bar."
Moore added, "I am very alarmed at this increasingly lawless action of the Trump administration," including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has "been defying courts and acting with disregard for the Constitution."
Advocacy groups including Voces de la Frontera, Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR), and Milwaukee Turners led a Friday afternoon protest against Dugan's arrest outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
HAPPENING NOW: A HUGE crowd of protesters have gathered outside a Milwaukee courthouse to support Judge Hannah Dugan after her arrest earlier today
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— Marco Foster ( @marcofoster.bsky.social) April 25, 2025 at 1:46 PM
"To refer to this heinous attack as alarming would be an understatement," MAARPR said in a statement accusing FBI Director Kash Patel of "intentionally being public with his announcement and accusations" and "seeking to bypass Dugan's due process and label her as a criminal before she even has an opportunity to speak up."
"It's no coincidence that Patel and the FBI have acted this way when the agency has a long history of bypassing any due process," the group said. "They are seeking to send a clear message: Either you play along with Trump's agenda, or pay the consequences."
MAARPR continued:
During this period of racist and political repression, we must stand together to denounce today's actions by the FBI. What happened to Dugan is not new. The FBI and other agencies have been emboldened in recent months, snatching people off the streets, separating families, terrorizing communities, breaking doors down of pro-Palestine activists, and contributing to the unjust deportation of immigrants who don't have criminal records. What is new is that they have gone after a judge.
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As Republicans in Congress push forward with a sweeping tax and spending plan that could be be paid for in part by deep cuts to Medicaid and to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the GOP plans to add a defense package to that bill which will include "an initial $27 billion boost" for the Golden Dome desired by U.S. President Donald, according to Thursday reporting from Reuters.
Trump has said he wants an "Iron Dome for America"—something akin to Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defense. In a speech earlier this year he referred to it as a "Golden Dome."
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According to Reuters, which cited "a document" and a congressional aide, the $27 billion would be a part of a $150 billion defense package Republicans plan to introduce. "It will be part of Trump's sweeping tax cuts bill, which will cut taxes by about $5 trillion and add approximately $5.7 trillion to the federal government's debt over the next decade," per the outlet. The measure, if passed, will also fund the construction of 14 warships and increase homeland security spending.
"The $27 billion investment in Golden Dome will fund the building of more missile interceptors and the purchase of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) antiballistic missile batteries, according to the congressional aide. THAAD is made by Lockheed Martin," the defense contractor, Reuters reported.
According to reporting from the outlet last week, billionaire "Elon Musk's SpaceX and two partners have emerged as front-runners to win a crucial part of the Golden Dome program that would track incoming missiles."
Bob Peterson, a senior research fellow for strategic deterrence at the right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation, applauded the move. Peterson shared Reuters' reporting and wrote on Friday: "This is an important start to building Golden Dome. I sincerely hope this passes so that missile defense will protect all Americans from our adversaries."
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