(Image via wmfe.com)
Staff Writer: Gwen Pichette
Email: gpichette@umassd.edu
Outrage and protests have broken out following the news that a bill to ban TikTok, the most popular social media app today, has been passed on to the Senate for deliberation.
This has caused intense backlash, primarily among Americans, who make up more than a whopping 170 million users on the app.
If the Senate passes the bill, TikTok will face an ultimatum: sever its ties to its Chinese parent company, Byte Dance, within five months, or face the possibility of a nationwide ban in America.
What exactly has prompted the ban?
Social media expert Dr. North chalks it up to a colossal disparity between American data laws and Chinese data laws—laws that are far too lax for American lawmaker’s comfort:
“The reason for the legislation is that TikTok being foreign-owned is governed by the laws of the country where it resides, in this case, China. And if you look at the rules of data collection, data archiving, and data use in China, it’s much more allowed than it is here in the United States,” Dr. North explains.
Authorities suspect personal information is being “handed over to the Chinese government,” and experts even go as far as to say that TikTok is the “biggest threat” to national security when it comes to data collection.
TikTok differs from other apps in that it is tailored specifically to users’ tastes and interests by meticulously collecting personal data. This allows the app to compile a feed of videos similar to those the user has previously interacted with. Such a distinction adds to the app’s addictive nature and heightens its appeal to users.
It has even surpassed Google in being the most popular website to date. New data has also found that thirty-two percent of young adults get their news solely from TikTok.
Such a ban could block efficient communication of the latest news.
Some even believe that this is entirely the intent of the ban, that it is less of a security issue and instead sets “a dangerous precedent that undermines the principles of free expression.”
However, the possibility of a TikTok ban is hardly a new issue.
Former President Trump made several attempts to ban the app in the name of alleged national security threats back in 2020, all of which were ultimately shot down. This leads many to brush off the ban’s validity and write it off as another false alarm.
Yet, the stakes are higher than ever, with people’s livelihoods and careers at risk.
While TikTok started as merely a creative platform to share videos between users, it has expanded significantly.
It is now a popular source for small-business owners to advertise their services and products. On its platform alone, the app has amassed five million businesses.
Since many users rely on the app as their source of income, they are unconcerned about the threats to their personal information.
One such user is make-up influencer Abby Rivera, who believes the government has far more pressing issues they should be focusing on:
“People are living paycheck to paycheck. That’s what the government needs to be focused on,” she said.
These influencers also claim that a ban would be detrimental to not just their individual income but to the US economy as a whole.
Digital Creator V. Spehar points out how banning the app would cause “$24 billion in economic activity to go missing,” which is the staggering amount that TikTok has contributed to the market in one calendar year.
Others agree that the timing is strange, especially considering the current state of the world.
Beauty influencer James Charles, with 39 million TikTok followers, certainly did not shy away from the subject, taking to the red carpet to talk about it in an interview:
“We’re starving. People are dying. … We’re in a war that we should not be in, and TikTok is our most pressing concern? I don’t think so.”
Most notable is the impact a ban could have on the upcoming election.
President Biden has expressed that he will back the bill if the Senate approves it. With such a controversial bill, a delay in its deliberation in the Senate is expected.
What could this mean?
This means that the bill could be considered right in time for the November election, “with a potential to upset influencers and set millions of followers against anyone in favor of the ban.”
As of now, it remains to be seen whether the bill will be passed, but it continues to be controversial.