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Can they ban the Signal app for obfuscating criminal communications?

• ashwagary 4y ago
  Once the precedent is set with TikTok, it seems so.
• DangitBobby 4y ago
  False equivalence, but probably. You seem to be arguing that software is special and can (or should) never be banned like other products, but I'm not sure why you think so. You don't think there's any software that should be bannable? I don't see any argument against other products being bannable so what's the disconnect?
  • akerl_ 4y ago
    No; that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that for the federal government to restrict something, they need to be able to tie it back to authority they hold. The default in the US is that the government cannot restrict the behavior of private entities, and the burden is on them to justify why they would be able to. There’s already plenty of software that is banned in various US jurisdictions. The most obvious example is when the US shut down online gambling. If the government announced tomorrow that they’re planning to ban sliding doors, or Toyota trucks, or standing desks, I’d have the same question. Software vs physical is not the relevant factor here.