We’re in an election year. Climate change is only worsening. Congress is more divided than ever. I’m sure the American people are ecstatic to see Congress is working hard to make sure that the biggest threat to our national security is eliminated…TikTok.
ByteDance, the parent company for the ever-popular social media platform TikTok, is facing an ultimatum. In a bill signed on March 13 by the House and April 23 by the Senate, now pending approval of President Biden, they must either sell the TikTok app within six months or have the platform entirely removed from all U.S. app stores and hosting services.
According to the politicians, there are multiple reasons behind the ban. Primarily, federal officials fear ByteDance, which is housed in Beijing, is using TikTok to spy on Americans and get their information. However, this is the same government that features authority figures like Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who in July of last year, expressed his fear that air fryers were spying on Americans, so take it with a grain of salt.
In most Americans pockets is a cell phone which holds and gives out unforeseen amounts of personal information to the “higher-ups”. Our government has access to all these records, and we don’t seem to care, but if there is a chance that China gets to our latest choice of memes, sports highlights or funny pet videos, the world will apparently end.
Hilariously, another reason for the potential ban is a worry that pro-China propaganda can be distributed on TikTok. Ah, yes. Because with every cooking, comedy or dancing video Americans watch, they are becoming more and more loyal to communist China. Parents complain about the “brain-rotting” of social media, but now they can add “hypnosis” to their vocabulary.
The final argument made is that the Chinese government could rig the upcoming election. But, consider this. The only way the Chinese could do this would be through influence, with the power of free speech. However, opposers of the law argue that same free speech is why TikTok cannot be banned. Go figure.
There is no good reason to ban the app. TikTok users must hope ByteDance can sell within the allotted six-month window or pray that the Senate votes it down. If not, the country will have to waste more valuable time debating if the ban is constitutional rather than doing something, anything, to truly progress America forward.
