On the one side are dozens of lawmakers on Capitol Hill issuing dire warnings about security breaches and possible Chinese surveillance.
On the other are some 150 million TikTok users in the U.S. who just want to be able to keep making and watching short, fun videos offering makeup tutorials and cooking lessons, among other things.
The disconnect illustrates the uphill battle that lawmakers from both sides of the aisle face in trying to convince the public that China could use TikTok as a weapon against the American people. But many users on the platform are more concerned about the possibility of the government taking away their favorite app.
said during a that the platform has never turned over user data to the Chinese government, and wouldnB次元官网网址檛 do so if asked.
Nevertheless, lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies continue to compels Chinese companies like TikTokB次元官网网址檚 parent company ByteDance to fork over data to the government for whatever purposes it deems to involve national security. ThereB次元官网网址檚 also concern Beijing might try to push pro-China narratives or misinformation through the platform.
B次元官网网址淚 want to say this to all the teenagers out there, and TikTok influencers who think weB次元官网网址檙e just old and out of touch and donB次元官网网址檛 know what weB次元官网网址檙e talking about, trying to take your favorite app,B次元官网网址� said Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw during the hearing. B次元官网网址淵ou may not care that your data is being accessed now, but you will be one day.B次元官网网址�
Many TikTok users reacted to the hearing by posting videos critical of lawmakers who grilled Chew and frequently cut him off from speaking. Some called a potential TikTok ban, as some lawmakers and the Biden administration has reportedly threatened, the B次元官网网址渂iggest scamB次元官网网址� of the year. And others blamed the surge of scrutiny on the platform on another tech rival, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
But few expressed fear of possible Chinese surveillance or security breaches that lawmakers continue to amplify as they look to rein in TikTok.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., whose district is in the heart of Silicon Valley, said he is mindful of the value that platforms like TikTok provide to young people as an outlet for creative expression and building community. B次元官网网址淏ut thereB次元官网网址檚 absolutely no reason that an American technology company canB次元官网网址檛 do that,B次元官网网址� said Khanna, the top Democrat on the cyber subcommittee on House Armed Service. B次元官网网址淎merica has the most innovative technology companies in the world.B次元官网网址�
He added that Congress should move forward with a proposal that would force platformB次元官网网址檚 sale to an American company for continued access for its millions of users while B次元官网网址渆nsuring that the platform isnB次元官网网址檛 subject to Chinese propaganda or compromises peopleB次元官网网址檚 privacy.B次元官网网址�
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of Americans aged 13 to 17 use TikTok, and 16% of all teens say they use it almost constantly. ItB次元官网网址檚 because of TikTokB次元官网网址檚 large user base that Lindsay Gorman, a former tech adviser for the Biden administration who now works as a senior fellow for emerging technologies at the German Marshall Fund, says the Biden administration will likely pursue every option short of a ban first. That would include the option for the appB次元官网网址檚 Chinese owners to divest, which the Biden administration is reportedly demanding from TikTok if it wants to avoid a nationwide ban.
TikTok itself has been trying to leverage its popularity. On Wednesday, to lobby against a ban. It has also ramped up a broader public relations campaign, plastering ads all over Washington that tout its promises of securing usersB次元官网网址� data and privacy and creating a safe platform for its young users.
Some popular TikTokers who speak out against a ban are concerned B次元官网网址� and angered B次元官网网址� about how it might impact their personal lives. Many earn income from their videos and have inked brand partnerships to market products to their audiences B次元官网网址� another stream of revenue that could be wiped away if the platform disappears. They would also lose the social capital that comes from having a large following on the trend-setting app.
Demetrius Fields, a standup comedian who amassed 2.8 million followers on TikTok from posting comedy sketches, said he spent a long time building his career and followership on the platform. He has one active deal with the fast fashion retailer Fashion Nova, which allows him to earn an income along with the videos he posts on TikTok.
If the app is taken away, he said building an audience on another platform would be challenging for him due to the competition to grab user attention.
B次元官网网址淭he financial implications for me would be pretty terrible,B次元官网网址� Fields said. B次元官网网址淚 would probably have to go back to working a desk job.B次元官网网址�
Sarah Pikhit, an 18-year-old student at Penn State University, said she used to use TikTok a lot, but started cutting back when she realized how much time she spent scrolling through videos on the app. She still uses it, but mostly to post her own content, which she says she can do on other platforms. She said she wouldnB次元官网网址檛 care if TikTok gets banned B次元官网网址� but her friends would.
B次元官网网址淭hey like the excessive scrolling,B次元官网网址� Pikhit said.
B次元官网网址�-
Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report.
Haleluya Hadero, The Associated Press
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