Enes Kanter Freedom torches TikTok, says app un-banned him during congressional grilling
He wants to expose the app's 'hypocrisy'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom sounded off on "The Ingraham Angle" after he was banned from TikTok following the posting of a video purporting to document human rights abuses in Shanghai.
Kanter Freedom, who amended his last name in appreciation to his adoptive country of the United States, noted his account was un-banned around the grilling of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas.
Pfluger told Chew he accomplished the feat of temporarily uniting Republicans and Democrats before confronting him about Kanter Freedom's ban.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Citing a clause about "objectionable" content moderation in TikTok's terms, Pfluger asked if "banning Enes Kanter Freedom, is that an example of objectionable material inside the Chinese Communist Party and mainland China?"
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Enes Kanter Freedom (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Chew replied: "We do not take down content simply because it's critical of China," before a gentleman seated behind the witness handed him a document.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pfluger told Chew it was acceptable if he needed a moment to read the note.
"The note says he's not banned," Chew replied.
On "The Ingraham Angle," host Laura Ingraham reported Kanter Freedom was reinstated on TikTok during the hearing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kanter Freedom agreed when asked by Ingraham that he wants to use TikTok as a "weapon" to expose its efforts to "brainwash" by Chinese interests.
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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
"Exactly," he said, adding he purchased a second phone to use the app to circumvent alleged spying behavior by the company.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I wanted to expose the hypocrisy. I wanted to just go out there and, you know, hit them with their own weapon… I actually started to post on TikTok all the China human rights abuses. Literally in one week they banned me from the app," Kanter Freedom said.
He disclosed that he had texted Pfluger, whom he considers a friend, asking him to ask Chew about the ban.
"While he was asking the question, they un-banned me and I actually recorded everything," Kanter Freedom added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas. (Getty Images)
He added that the Chinese government does not allow many "Western apps" within its country, and wondered why the United States gives Chinese-connected apps deference.
"Why are we letting them in our country? We are worried about the Chinese spy balloon, but we literally have 150 million Chinese spy balloons right now in our phones, in our homes."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"So we've got to do something about it."