The controversial social media app, TikTok, has made headlines for its alleged ties to the Chinese government and concerns over security and privacy of its users. The topic has been debated in Washington and on social media for months, with calls for its ban in the US. But what do Americans really think about TikTok? According to a new poll, more Americans actually support a ban on the app, despite what some lawmakers in Washington and social media influencers may want you to think.
According to a Washington Post poll, more Americans favor banning TikTok than against it.
41 percent of Americans support a federal ban on TikTok, while 25 percent oppose it. Most of the concerns about the app come from its parent company’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party. 71 percent of respondents are concerned about ByteDance’s motives for operating in the United States, including 36 percent who are “very concerned.”
Similarly, 65 percent believe TikTok collects personal information about Americans for the Chinese government, and 56 percent believe the Chinese government can control Americans’ viewing of content through the app.
The poll is the latest indication that the video-sharing app is on the decline.
There has been a ban on the app from government devices from the White House, the European Commission, and Canada in recent months, and the United Kingdom is considering the same.
Despite being based in China, TikTok has proposed to protect U.S. users’ data through “Project Texas,” which will store all U.S. data on local servers
However, during a House Energy and Commerce Committee last week, Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, admitted, “yes” when pressed by Representative Bob Latta (R-OH) about whether or not the Chinese Communist Party has access to U.S. user data right now in the meantime.
TikTok’s fate in the US remains up in the air, with opinions on the app divided among Americans. While the app’s popularity continues to grow, so do concerns over its ties to the Chinese government and data security. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether the US government will take action against TikTok or not.
