Will the U.S. ban TikTok? Why is the government worried about social media app?

Brenno Carillo, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·3 min read
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What started as a video-sharing platform for young people looking to show off their dance skills, TikTok is now a matter of national security, according to some U.S. lawmakers.

The social media platform, which now has over 1 billion users globally, has become a worldwide phenomenon, and the United States is no exception.

Besides the short dancing and singing videos, TikTok now features content of all kinds.

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But why has the U.S. government taken an interest in how the app operates and why have some called for a nationwide ban?

TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew’s testimony before Congress on Thursday gave lawmakers a chance to express their concerns, for Chew to provide explanations, and, of course, for TikTok users to chime in.

Why is the U.S. government worried about TikTok?

It is a matter of national security, according to Congress.

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company based in Beijing.

The main concern expressed by lawmakers at last week’s hearing, therefore, is that the Chinese government could have access to TikTok’s user data in the U.S., where more than 100 million people use the platform monthly, according to TikTok.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, speaks during the hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, speaks during the hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified in December the agency was concerned about Chinese officials controlling the app’s algorithm and argued the app could be used "to collect data through it on users which can be used for traditional espionage operations."

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, argued in her opening remarks that the app “should be banned.”

What does TikTok say?

Brooke Oberwetter, a TikTok spokesperson, condemned the decision to ban the app on federal devices in a statement to USA TODAY last month.

“We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won’t have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans,” Oberwetter wrote.

But Congress seems bent on the other direction, and Chew’s answers last week addressed the continued concerns.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The social media company has come under scrutiny for its data collection and privacy practices.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The social media company has come under scrutiny for its data collection and privacy practices.

For instance, the CEO did not make it clear whether the company could sell collected user data to any entity, instead saying it does not sell data to “any data broker.”

The company is pointing to Facebook and the Cambridge Analytica data scandal from 2019, as well as to other tech companies that have faced similar criticisms and have yet to face restrictions.

U.S. law does not regulate how companies manage user data collection.

How is the U.S. government already restricting TikTok?

At the end of February, the White House announced it was giving federal agencies 30 days to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices.

Before that, the app was already prohibited on White House devices, as well as for those working on the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security.

The guidance has exceptions for "law enforcement activities, national security interests and activities, and security research,” according to the White House.

What are TikTok users saying?

Following the hearing, TikTok users took to the platforms to push back against the government’s initiative and criticize lawmakers’ questions.

One user wrote in the caption of a video with more than 10 million views, "This is so embarrassing. I swear to god we need to get competent and younger people in office,” USA TODAY reported on Monday.

Another user wrote "I have beef with our Congressmen and women," in a video with over 350,000 views. “These people already have their mind made up."

Users also pointed to what they understood as lawmakers’ poor comprehension of the platform and the internet. A similar reaction occurred after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified before Congress in 2018.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: TikTok CEO's testimony addresses some concerns, draws user reaction