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Several users of X (formerly Twitter) have raised concerns about potential censorship after criticizing Elon Musk’s support for H-1B visas, a controversial immigration policy for skilled foreign workers. Allegations have surfaced claiming that prominent voices, particularly those on the conservative side of the political spectrum, have had their verification badges removed or their content suppressed after voicing objections to Musk’s stance on the matter. There is Donald Trump supporter Laura Loomer, New York Young Republican Club president Gavin Wax, and InfoWars host Owen Shroyer who claim their accounts were being targeted because they had recently condemned Musk’s stance on H-1B visas and spoke out against the role Indian culture was playing in American business as well as condemned Musk’s association with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who promotes the policy. The Censorship Claims: Who’s Affected? Wax, another vocal critic of the H-1B program, posted a response, labeling the removal of his verification badge “insane.” He claimed that his badge was taken away after he labeled the H-1B program a “racket.” Shroyer, too, reported that his verification had vanished, with his account placed “under review” by X’s administration. What Has Musk Said? No Official Statement Yet As of now, Elon Musk has not released any statements about the claim of censorship. However, in a previous post, Musk explained that X’s algorithm was aimed at maximizing “unregretted user-seconds.” In other words, its algorithm favors content that tends to encourage engagement without inducing negative feedback or regret by users. Musk said accounts that are blocked or muted by verified users most may experience a drastic drop in reach. He also added that coordinated spam attacks using blocks and mutes might flag accounts as spam. Musk further commented on the algorithm saying that these actions might silence individuals who present opposition against specific topics or policies. One such heated debate is regarding the H-1B visa. H-1B Visa Debate Heats Up The controversy over H-1B visas has resurfaced with a vengeance, especially among supporters of former President Donald Trump. The H-1B program allows U.S. companies to employ skilled foreign workers in specialized fields, such as technology and engineering. Critics argue that it contributes to job displacement for American workers, a sentiment voiced by many within Trump’s MAGA base. The debate over H-1B visas has gained further prominence following the appointment of Indian-American Sriram Krishnan as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence under Trump’s government. Far-right figures have expressed concern, claiming that this move dilutes Trump’s “America First” policy, which prioritizes U.S. workers over foreign talent. Despite the disagreement, the H-1B visa debate has now turned into a divisive battleground and more so in the US political arena. The MAGA proponents maintain that the government needs stricter immigration policies as these foreigners take away jobs from American natives and strain the economy beyond what it can handle. ALSO READ | Who Was David Rivkin? Trump Pays Homage To Constitution’s Stalwart Defender
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President-elect Donald Trump's repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent the app's impending ban in the United States, though the path forward remains unclear. "We got to keep this sucker around for a little while," Trump told supporters on Sunday, just days after meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Florida. Trump, who credits the wildly popular platform with delivering him a large young user base, opposes banning TikTok partly because he believes it would primarily benefit Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company behind Instagram and Facebook. The situation is complex, according to University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias, given the various potential solutions and Trump's unpredictable nature. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation, signed by President Joe Biden in April, that would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake by January 19. US officials and lawmakers grew wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access the data of TikTok's American users. Even with Trump's decisive election victory and incoming Republican-led Congress, acquiescing to the president-elect's desire and preventing the ban faces significant hurdles. The law enjoyed rare bipartisan support in a divided Washington, making its outright repeal through a vote in Congress politically unlikely even with Trump's influence over Republicans. The Supreme Court may offer the clearest path forward. TikTok has appealed to the nation's highest court, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights to free speech. The court, which is dominated by Trump-aligned conservatives, will hear the case on January 10, just nine days before the ban takes effect. This follows a lower appeals court's unanimous decision to uphold the law in December. Another possibility, according to Tobias, is that a Trump-led Department of Justice could determine ByteDance has addressed the law's national security concerns. However, such a move would likely be seen as caving to China by Congress and others. The final option is ByteDance selling to a non-Chinese buyer, though the company has consistently refused this possibility. With 170 million monthly active users, acquiring TikTok's US operations would require substantial resources. As president, Trump could extend the ban deadline by 90 days to facilitate a transaction. Few potential buyers have emerged, with major tech companies likely deterred by antitrust concerns. Former Trump Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, who runs a private equity fund backed by Japan's SoftBank Group and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, has expressed interest. During a recent event with Trump, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son pledged to invest $100 billion in the US economy, though specific investments weren't detailed. Other contenders include US real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who aims to make social media safer through his Project Liberty organization. Elon Musk, given his proximity to Trump and ownership of X, could also have a role to play, as he has expressed plans to transform the text-focused platform into something more like TikTok. A senior Republican lawmaker recently suggested Trump might orchestrate a "deal of the century" satisfying both US concerns and ByteDance's interests. The chairman of the US House committee on China, John Moolenaar, told Fox News Digital that once ByteDance accepts it must comply with US law, the situation could progress rapidly. Any agreement would need Beijing's approval, with US-China relations expected to remain tense during Trump's upcoming term. This isn't the first attempt to resolve TikTok's US status. In 2020, Trump also threatened a ban unless ByteDance sold its US operations. While Oracle and Walmart reached a preliminary agreement with ByteDance for ownership stakes, legal challenges and the transition to the Biden administration prevented the deal's completion. arp/mlmFarage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbers