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In a nutshell: TikTok is slowly but surely gaining support among Americans. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 34 percent of US adults now support a ban on the Chinese video sharing app – down from 50 percent in 2023. Conversely, 32 percent of respondents oppose a ban while 33 percent are on the fence.
Among those who support a ban, data security and the platform’s Chinese ownership were cited as top concerns. Others took issue with the amount of inaccurate information on TikTok and the belief that some people spend too much time on the platform.
Those opposed to a ban worry that it would threaten free speech and argue that there is not enough evidence that the app is a danger to the US. Nearly half of those against the ban believe it could harm individuals that rely on TikTok for income.
Unsurprisingly, Americans that do not use TikTok themselves are much more likely to support a ban than those who do use it (45 percent versus 12 percent).
TikTok has been perceived as a national security risk for years. The situation reached a head this past January when the app was temporarily banned in the US. It blackout did not last long, however, as President Trump signed an executive order on January 20 that revoked the ban for an additional 75 days. That grace period is nearly up and if nothing happens in the next week or so, the platform is expected to go dark once again on April 5.
TikTok owner ByteDance could avoid a second ban if it is able to find a buyer for the platform’s US operations soon. Earlier this month, Trump said his team was in contact with four different groups that were interested in purchasing TikTok.
One candidate, the AI startup Perplexity, vows to give half ownership of TikTok to the US government, rebuild the platform’s algorithm, and open-source its recommendation system if it were to take control.
Image credit: RDNE stock
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