Opinion: TikTok is more than leisure and laughter. For my district, it's crucial.
Government action against TikTok will silence the most marginalized communities in our country, particularly those in my district. I represent Michigan's 13th District in the U.S. Congress, encompassing most of Detroit, the cities of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods, and parts of downriver and Western Wayne County.
TikTok has quickly become a popular platform for millions of Americans to market their small businesses and promote activism. Every day, TikTok users are leveraging that passion to construct their digital versions of the proverbial American Dream. Enterprise and ingenuity are fundamental to the American way of life, and rather than stifling such passions, we should find ways to foster and encourage this crucial development in our ever-changing economic landscape.
A staggering 150 million Americans utilize TikTok for various reasons beyond leisure and laughter. Surfing through TikTok, one can find topics of interest that range from history lessons, cooking recipes and the latest political developments, both domestic and global.
It is undeniable TikTok's meteoritic rise has taken our body politic by surprise. Chiefly, the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, a Chinese social media behemoth, has faced intense scrutiny, specifically related to security and data concerns. As a result, calls demanding either the sale or complete ban of the company have grown in both chambers of Congress.
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Moreover, small business owners rely heavily on TikTok to reach consumers, offer critical services and sell their products without relying on more expensive methods.
As a member of the House Committee on Small Business, and a former small business owner, I know first-hand the challenging realities that business owners face daily. TikTok has removed some barriers to entry, notably for minorities, including establishing the Support Black Businesses Program which seeks to elevate the voices of Black-owned businesses through networking opportunities, exclusive access to resources and intensive trainings. Prohibiting TikTok will exacerbate gaps in business success rates, particularly e-commerce.
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TikTok has also become the favorite avenue for activism. Around 62% of Tik Tok users are under the age of 30, and many rely on TikTok for their political news and have been compelled to express their opinions and act on matters related to the health of our democracy, systemic racism, reproductive rights and gun reform. Civic engagement has also increased. During the 2020 elections and the 2022 midterms, some analyses have suggested, younger generations employing TikTok played a crucial role in President Joe Biden's ascension to power. They also helped thwart complete congressional control by Republicans in the 2022 midterms.
An outright ban on TikTok will indisputably raise questions pertaining to First Amendment rights and the freedom of speech guaranteed to all Americans, such as the ability to speak and receive information unimpeded. America is a country of democratic ideals, and banning TikTok is ultimately a radical departure from that sacred ethos.
Furthermore, the national security of Americans is paramount, and we should always seek to outlaw malign influences emanating from adversarial regimes. However, at this current juncture, I believe that TikTok does not pose an existential crisis to American national security, and the evidence I have reviewed scant proof of such claims. I believe the ongoing effort by TikTok through Project Texas, which aims to keep American data on American soil, is an important step, particularly in partnering with the U.S.-based tech giant Oracle. The U.S government can also safeguard American data by entrusting a third party to monitor and audit TikTok and Oracle, pertaining to data storage.
We should not take the capricious decision of banning TikTok without credible and substantive evidence related to national security threats. If we undertake such a consequential measure, millions of Americans will lose their business operations overnight, activist networks will be severely hampered, and our hallowed freedoms to expression and speech will be eroded.
Shri Thanedar, a Democrat, represents Michigan's 13th District in the U.S. Congress. He is a former state representative and entrepreneur.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Banning TikTok would be a mistake. Here’s why.
