I’ve been swamped lately, and one of your peers, Naomi Simpson, has offered to help construct blogs that can stimulate productive argument. Kudos to Naomi! Here’s her first proffering:
On March 13th, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill to ban TikTok. While the concept of the app getting banned may seem like old news (since it’s been in contention in many different forms for nearly 2 years now), there’s something about the bill itself that’s very different. HR 231’s alleged primary application is to ban TikTok, but the bill itself bans the use all foreign-owned applications, or any app not owned by an American or American company. This raises two questions: should TikTok be banned? and are foreign-owned apps a threat to national security?
I believe that foreign-owned apps being used by other countries to steal data is a likely occurrence, but I do not believe that banning all foreign apps is a good solution. First of all, these countries will find other ways of getting the data they want either by buying it from Zuckerburg (or some other Silicon Valley yuppie) or just hacking it. I believe that these things are actually happening anyway, but here we are talking about TikTok. Second of all, banning all non-American apps would discourage foreign online businesses from participating in online American market. Third, this could lead down a slippery slope towards banning all non-American websites, which could open a whole other bag of cats with censorship and media control. While I think that this bill should NOT be passed, I would not be opposed to a ban on TikTok mainly because of the growing worldwide brain rot it is contributing to. I am also tired of having to explain Gen Z slang to my parents.
I would like to begin by saying thank you, Naomi!
I have never used TikTok and despite my hypocritical distaste for the app (YouTube shorts are my poison of choice), I don’t think it should be banned. The rise of mindless short-form content has been a recent occurrence, but the niche it fills has existed since the origin of television. Education and regulation, in my eyes, remain the best solution to qualms about the “Tik-Tok-BOOM”. My views on foreign-owned apps are similar; banning all of them seems a gross overreaction. If we are open to trading physical goods and services with other nations, why prohibit digital goods and services?
I have used TikTok before in the past, but I’ve not used it, or any short form media, for a long time because of the negative effects on my productivity. I am in complete opposition to the existence of TikTok because of the correlation with the consumption of scrolling media and inhibited attention spans/learning ability.
That being said, I feel the House is like completely lost in their search for the real problem, and therefore their solution is awful and actually quite ironic. Banning foreign apps? Isn’t that what China does? The House is so lost that they’ve resorted to combatting “Chinese influence” by implementing one of China’s own most defining policies.
The best way I can describe the House’s TikTok argument is that it feels so random. The only thing they seem to be aware of is that TikTok has a problem. Instead of targeting the proven issues regarding its impact on cognitive health, they chose to pursue a long debate over an issue that will likely never be proven, and then craft a solution that would be awful even if the issue was proven to exist.
I may be biased because I absolutely love Tiktok, but I truly believe that banning Tiktok would negatively affect the United States as a whole. There are so many people in the United States who rely on apps such as Tiktok for a source of income, and as we are probably all aware of the current state of the job market/economy, taking away a substantial income for many people would not only cause problems within the Tiktoker’s life, it could also negatively affect the economy even more. That may seem like a reach, and I have no background to necessarily “back it up,” but it’s the first thing that comes to mind when the ban is being discussed. I also think that banning Tiktok and other foreign apps could isolate the United States and like Andy Chen said, “a gross overreaction.”
I do not think banning TikTok and foreign-owned apps will have the positive outcome that some people expect. Users of these apps could still find a way to access them. In addition, telling citizens to only use American apps makes it seem like the United States is distrustful of every other nation. There are more pressing issues regarding America’s international affairs, and eliminating TikTok would not suddenly resolve them.
I do not think that TikTok should be banned. TikTok may have some inappropriate posts and it may also influence people in a negative way, but it also is a teaching app that has helped many users. It has helped me with school, and other things that I may have not known. Also, it has kept me caught up with what’s going on in the world. So no, TikTok should not be banned. Banning TikTok and other foreign apps could possibly have a negative effect on the United States considering so many people rely on them.
I believe that TikTok should not be banned. It is simply another social media platform for entertainment purposes. If it were to be banned, someone else would replace it under a different name. Additionally, banning it could cause problems and potentially damage relationships with other countries. I do not believe that all foregin-owned apps threaten national security.
Thank you Naomi for starting this discussion!
I do not think TikTok should be banned. People are going to find ways to get on TikTok if it’s from a VPN or other similar streaming websites. If they want to get on it, they will find their way around the ban. TikTok is a place I go to when I’m bored, and there are countless educational videos on the app. It all just depends on your algorithm, based on liked videos. This being said, TikTok should have age restrictions added. You should be at least 13 or older to get on TikTok, just because there is some content on there that young kids should not be watching. Children are exposed to TikTok at young ages and begin watching videos that are meant for 18+ people, which makes them think it is okay for their young selves to do the same.
I would like to express my opinion on the topic of banning TikTok. In my view, there is no reason to ban the app itself, as it does not promote anything illegal or inappropriate. However, there are concerns about data privacy and security, which can be addressed by taking necessary measures and raising awareness among users. If there was a social media app that needed to be banned, in my opinion, it would be Twitter (also known as X). This is due to the fact that the app allows users to share graphic and harmful content publicly. I believe that the blanket ban on all foreign-owned apps is unnecessary and an overreaction. Social media platforms have become an integral part of our lives, and it is up to us to be responsible and mindful of our usage, whether it be scrolling through TikTok or listening to Spotify.
The million-dollar question: should TikTok be banned. My answer is no. There are many positive outcomes from the app. There are educational videos, and many small businesses have been supported through TikTok. While I don’t believe TikTok should be removed by the government, apps die out. It would have lost attention eventually and been replaced by another platform. Banning foreign apps should be allowed if there is evidence of spying and invasion of privacy. Current foreign owned apps like Temu and Shein might be a threat to security, but they should not be removed until there is evidence. If TikTok was owned by a company in a country like France instead of China, this problem would likely not exist. Spotify, for example, is owned by Sweden and has not received any criticism.
The debate on if TikTok should be banned or not is a debatable question. Mainly because its comedic how much we scrutinize TikTok, and yes they do deserve backlash for not properly managing their website; though I feel like taking so far as to trying to ban tiktok wouldn’t really do anything. I feel like instead of trying to wipe the whole app out, we would seek to make TikTok itself develop measures that will actually keep people safe. If anyone is considering TikTok to be a national threat then the argument to keep the countries separate should come about.
While many concerns have been raised regarding social media platforms, I do not believe that we should ban the use of them in America. Yes, there is a chance that the company has accessed our personal information, but we can not assume that they are selling it off just because we can not control where the information is. Many other companies have not only accessed but also had private information stolen, yet the U.S. government has done nothing about it. For example, not too long ago, AT&T’s cellular company experienced a breach. According to an NBC news report by The Associated Press, “In a Saturday announcement addressing the data breach, AT&T said that a dataset found on the ‘dark web’ contains information including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.” While our personal security is of the utmost importance to all users, we should address breaches that have already been confirmed and proven to be factual rather than making an educated guess on something we genuinely know nothing about. The assumption that the app being owned by our government will eliminate the breach of our social security is absurd. The AT&T breach is a perfect example of this.
I want to share my perspective on the proposed TikTok ban and the broader issue of foreign-owned apps. In my view, banning TikTok outright is unnecessary. While concerns about data privacy exist, these can be addressed through better user education and stronger data protection measures. Instead of a blanket ban on foreign-owned apps, it’s important to evaluate each app based on its specific risks and benefits. Platforms like Twitter (also known as X), which allow the public sharing of harmful content, might warrant closer scrutiny. Rather than banning apps wholesale, we should focus on responsible usage, increased awareness, and targeted regulation to balance the benefits of social media with data security concerns.
I see the concern of the government, especially when these apps are owned by countries that are not necessarily allies of the United States government, but I feel like it is getting a bit blown out of proportion and it seems a bit like a distraction from some real issues. I do admit however that I am probably more inclined to say that the banning of TikTok specifically is fear-mongering, but it just feels like there are better ways to go about it, especially when you are including all foreign-owned and operated applications. It would probably just be better to try and include more laws and better screenings for code that could possibly be used to breach important data. In addition, foreign apps are NOT the only culprits when it comes to data leaking and stealing information, almost every single social media app or major application has been guilty of doing that at some point.
I understand the fear that the United States has over TikTok, in the belief that it is free propaganda in favor of China. However, I don’t know if this is grounds to ban the app. Online propaganda is hard to avoid, and I would be lying if I didn’t find the conversation to be ridiculous. I fear that limiting online exposure to the world around us, no matter if there is propaganda, does more harm than good. I do not like TikTok or any other form of short-form content, but this does not make me side with the ban. It is foreign-owned app; therefore, it may have propaganda about its own country in it. I don’t think this is entirely a bad thing, but if we ban TikTok who is to say that this won’t leave the government to limit more online interaction with the world?
I feel like this bill is too extreme, and for that itself might be the reason we have never seen a bill like this in the light of day. Since being in senate each bill/resolution must have one change and a direct point. By removing all foreign applications it kinda seems as though the country is trying to stop us from business throughout the world. I can’t say if tiktok itself should be banned but if it is a concern that the foreign site is sharing data from its users it should, at least in the US, be given warning to its costumers and that should be a decision of their own. Me personally I don’t believe my data is crazy useful but if I had high connections using foreign apps would seem like a concern.
The banning of TikTok has been spoken of since the application has been used as a source for combined protests throughout the world. TikTok is seen by many as a way for the Chinese to steal American information, but many overlook the fact that TikTok’s main base is in Singapore and the United States. The app may be subjected to hacking that compromises American information, but how many apps have not? I do not believe that this ban is actually for the safety of Americans, but it is because TikTok would not turn over their shares to the American government. Forgein apps like TikTok allow users to globally connect with other users. They bring together communities that band together to help individuals in need.
In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned. In this generation, banning this app would do more harm than good, which sounds really bad but it’s the reality. A majority of the population depend on TikTok for either entertainment, income, etc. Personally, I always turn to TikTok when I just want to relax, but I also understand how TikTok contributes to my procrastination. In the end, I don’t think the problem has gotten so bad that the app needs to banned. I think nowadays many foreign owned social media or website has the potential to be a threat to national security, but I choose to believe there is more good in the world.