TikTok ban

The debate over a potential ban on a popular social media platform known as TikTok over national security is a hot topic right now in the U.S. Congress, and there’s no clear consensus on a federal ban.

I have no position on the federal ban as I do not have a TikTok account, nor do I plan to create one.

On one side, many fear the Chinese government could access user data or manipulate content to influence individuals. There are also serious concerns that user information collected by TikTok could be misused by its parent company, ByteDance.

On the other hand, a ban could be seen as a censorship and limit free expression on a popular platform. Some argue a ban wouldn’t stop people from using TikTok through virtual private networks (VPNs) or that a ban could hurt businesses and creators who rely on TikTok.

The bill still needs approval from President Biden before becoming law.

–Sen. Celina R. Babauta (D-Saipan)

I understand why there is a movement to ban the platform. In 2020, the U.S. Army and Navy banned the application on government devices over national security concerns regarding the access the application has to users’ locations, contact lists, media files, and more.

The application is owned by a tech company called ByteDance, which must give any and all data it collects to the Chinese government upon request.

I am, however, concerned about the effectiveness of the intended outcome given the fact that so many U.S. companies such as X, Meta, and Amazon collect and sell data to multi national corporations.

—Sen. Karl Rosario King-Nabors (R-Tinian)