TikTok Users Criticize Bill that Will Ban the App

The House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday, March 13 that calls for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or the app will be banned on all U.S. devices. The vote of 352-65 has users calling out the House for focusing on the wrong issues. 

“I want you to think about the last time you heard 81% of Congress agree on anything,” said Alex Pearlman in a viral TikTok he posted on March 14, 2024. 

He and many other users point out that the House’s priorities are not in the right place and that there are more important issues including raising the minimum wage, affordable healthcare, and maternity leave. 

“They are voting to ban the complaint box rather than listening to a single complaint on this app,” said Pearlman in the video. 

This ban didn’t come out of nowhere. 

Tiktok has been at the end of many controversies that have led it to be banned in three countries. In 2020, it was banned in India “as a danger to the nation’s sovereignty.” Along with a ban in Bangladesh and a brief one in Indonesia. 

During the Trump administration, the former president launched a campaign against TikTok, threatening to ban it from the United States stating that ByteDance must “divest from all assets that support TikTok’s U.S. operations and destroy all previously collected U.S. user data” according to the Congressional Research Service report. 

The reasoning comes from the concern that the Chinese Communist Party could use the data to “spy” on U.S. citizens according to the report. 

Concerns about the popular social media app’s use of private information created a bipartisan issue. In Sept. 2020 Trump announced that he found a solution stating that TikTok’s U.S. operations would be severed from ByteDance and become incorporated as a U.S. company according to the Congressional Research Service report. 

This deal has been through many stalled court cases, eventually being passed to the Biden administration. 

In March 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew defended the app in front of the House of Energy and Commerce Committee stating in his witness testimony that “we aim [on TikTok] aim to provide three things. The first is a window to discover. The second is a canvas to create. The third is a bridge to connect.” 

During the hearing, Chew repeatedly explained that ByteDance “is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government.” Stating that there is no Chinese government access to U.S. user data after the legislators repeatedly asked about China’s alleged influence over the app. 

He continues on to explain that the app’s data security practices are critical to its mission stating that “we fully endorse congressional efforts to adopt comprehensive federal privacy legislation.” Hoping to work with the committee to help “enact baseline privacy legislation that establishes consistent and strong privacy standards.” 

Legislators questioned the broader issue in TikTok’s ability to moderate misinformation, harmful messaging, and inappropriate content. Showing off several videos that encouraged self-harm and committing suicide. 

Chew responded that TikTok employed over 40,000 moderators that track this harmful content. This along with an algorithm to flag harmful material. Stating that they use “third-party validators” who monitor the system. 

“I don’t think I can sit here and say that we are perfect in doing this,” said Chew during the hearing. “We do work very hard.” 

One moment from the hearing comes from Republican Representative Kat Cammack who played a Tiktok video showing a gun firing with a threatening message, which, at this point, has been up since Feb. 10, 2023.

“You expect us to believe that you are capable of maintaining the data privacy and security of 150 million Americans when you can’t even protect the people in this room?” Cammack asked Chew. 

In the end, very few committee members were on Chew’s side. This resulted in the committee supporting a full ban of the app in the U.S. 

Fast forward to March 2024, TikTok faces an unknown future in the U.S. But as of Wednesday, March 13, the House of Representatives passed the bill that could possibly lead to the full ban of the online platform. 

“This bill gives more power to a handful of other social media companies,” said Chew in a TikTok response video to the House’s decision. “It will also take billions of dollars out of the pockets of creators and small businesses.” 

He states in the video that more than 300,000 American jobs are at risk. 

“Honestly, since 2020 I feel like I’ve personally witnessed TikTok become the driving force of marketing when it comes to personal gain or business,” texted Marlena Kimbrough, Social Media Manager for the downtown Wisconsin Athletic Club in Milwaukee. 

“Even though it’s not the only social media out there, it has had a huge influence on the world,” texted Kimbrough. 

In the end, Twitter (also known as X) users have taken to the app after user @destorynectar started the trend “What video is the reason they shouldn’t ban TikTok?” receiving over 415.7M views and hundreds of responses from their favorite TikTok showcasing support in preventing the ban from happening. 

While its fate is unknown, President Biden stated on March 8, 2024, that he would sign the bill if it passed through Congress.