Want to Ban TikTok? Depends How Old You Are

pcmag.com:

Most people in the US probably wouldn't be able to tell you what a "trending sound" is, but they’re in favor of a TikTok ban, according to a Pew Research Center survey(Opens in a new window).

In the study, 50% of respondents agree with a ban, which would be an unprecedented action by the government; 22% oppose it and 28% are unsure. The short-form-video social-media platform has come under criticism from President Biden and Congress for its ties to China and concerns over spying. And though TikTok evaded a ban under the previous administration, it might not manage to this time around. 

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has advanced legislation to allow for the ban, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew for hours last month about the company’s reporting practices to its parent company. It was a hearing that TikTok COO Vanessa Pappas characterized as “rooted in xenophobia,”(Opens in a new window) since TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, which the US and other governments(Opens in a new window) believe is using the addictive app to harvest data from their citizens. 

But while this is true of TikTok, it’s also true of absolutely every social media app. This data can also be purchased legally and cheaply by any entity that wants it, including China. (The FBI even does it(Opens in a new window) to avoid having to obtain warrants.) 

The Pew study also found that increased awareness that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company correlates to increased support of a ban, with 60% of those who know of the app's country of origin in favor of the ban.

Age, too, is an indicator of whether someone is more likely to approve of a ban. The older someone is, the more likely they are to support