Directions: . This assignment is worth 25% of your final grade for the course. T

Directions:
. This assignment is worth 25% of your final grade for the course. The paper should be 4 pages in length, double-spaced, with a 12-point font and one- inch margins all around.
You should consider this essay as an opportunity to demonstrate that you have listened and understood the lectures and completed the readings. You should feel free to paraphrase my lectures, the Harvard lectures and the assigned readings in support of your argument. Brief quotations from the lectures/readings should include a parenthetical reference. For instance, if you quote one of my lectures, you could close the quotation with (Smith Lecture, “The Ratification Battle”).
You may also use outside (internet) sources for this paper. However, you must paraphrase these sources using your own words. Only limited quotations are appropriate for this short paper. Whether you paraphrase or quote, you must cite the source in some form (MLA, Chicago, APA etc.). Do not copy and paste phrases or sentences from outside sources and use them as your own work. Do not use AI to draft the essay. Turnitin will reveal matches between your work and other sources. No credit will be assigned for papers that violate the school policy on academic integrity. Consult the course syllabus on this issue should you have any questions.
Good writing counts: (a) proofread and check for mistakes such as errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization; (b) remember that good writing is re- writing; and (c) be clear. Review the “Top Ten List of Assignments and Posts” attached to the Blackboard course site. Information about the CSI Writing Center can be found here: https://www.csi.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2022- 02/writing_center_schedule.pdf Consult the grading rubric located in the syllabus and on the Blackboard course site.
Question:
As part of this course, we have examined the First Amendment and the role of media in U.S. politics. Congress recently held hearings on two pending bills that would empower the executive branch to ban the social media site TikTok because of national security concerns. These bills are the DATA Act (Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries) and the RESTRICT Act (Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology). Opponents of the ban say it is “ill-advised… would impair free speech and set a troubling precedent.” Supporters of the ban cite the fact that TikTok’s parent company is associated with the Chinese Communist party and that the app may harvest information about US citizens and spread misinformation promoted by China.
Your essay should include the following:
1. Anintroduction
2. A summary of the main elements of each bill
3. An analysis of the ban’s constitutionality
4. A conclusion in which you explain your opinion about whether Congress should pass the ban
As you write the essay, be sure to consider the issue from the viewpoint of both sides.