By Armita Rohani
TikTok, the second most popular social media platform that 2/3 of teens use, has been banned from US federal devices as Congress passes a new bill restricting its access to government information. Officials are worried about the security threat this popular app poses, as user data, American interests, and locations can be easily accessed by the Chinese government. Congress is worried that this app can be used to spy on Americans, jeopardizing political relations and public safety.
While this topic is significant for U.S.-Chinese relations, it is certainly not a new one. Former president Donald Trump pushed to ban the app in 2020, and the Pentagon banned its use in military branches back in 2019. Nonetheless, this is not a divided issue, either; both democrats and republicans are involved and concerned over the threat that TikTok poses. The Biden administration is pushing for a complete national security review of the app as well.
However, solid evidence to this claim has been lacking; this is not a fact, but rather, a possibility. The chances and suspicions are supported, as TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has previously sent user data and content from one of its other apps (which no longer exists) to the Chinese government. TikTok made a statement arguing that they do not share information; however, employees do have access to such data.
While this bill won’t affect the majority of users, it does present the possible risk of future regulations.
