The RESTRICT Act: Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

In my house, we do not use TikTok and have no plans to. Still, the RESTRICT Act is regressive, dangerously broad overreach.

Firstly, it's aligned with new Cold War chest-puffing for political points in the short term.

Secondly, it's the weaponization of the traditional financial services industry in the mid term, in a way that will pressure innovation that embodies principles of democracy and liberty to move offshore. Better to focus squarely on patching risks that were injected back into the industry in the wake of 2008, which now have us flirting with a potentially worse crisis.

Lastly, in the long term, it sets the stage for policies that could be ripe for abuse by any regime that would be more or less authoritarian. When systems like America's are under increasing attack, it sets a bad precedent.

From one Administration to the next, it's a simple idea: Two wrongs don't make a right. If citizens' privacy and national security are what we care about, we should be taking a different approach.

End it.