By Macey Parker, Staff Writer As many people are finding out, there is word of the app TikTok being banned by the government. To many people, this is a threat as it would take away a form of entertainment, education, and livelihood. Vice President Kamala Harris has stated that the administration hopes to not sign off on the banning of TikTok. Although, Biden has stated that he will sign the bill if it makes it to his desk; however, this is being delayed because of debates in the Senate (USA Today). The basis of the bill banning TikTok gives the company owning TikTok (Bytedance) six months to sell their share of the company. If they fail to do so, then they will be refused access to the App Store. This would take a long time to enact since the bill is still stuck in the Senate, and Bytedance is still able to challenge the decision made by the Senate (CBS News). This leaves the question of Americans' access to the app up in the air. Photo from The Conversation: TikTok users across the country, particularly young adults, are concerned about the implications of banning the download of Tiktok. It is important to note the reasons that the government wants to ban the use of TikTok in the United States. On one side, the app has proven to be a threat to both national and personal security. The fear is that the right information will get into the wrong hands and because Bytedance is a Chinese-owned company, there is more reason to worry. There is recent information about how they use location, target journalists, and impact elections through the app that many of us use every day. What once was a platform used to spread information and entertainment, is now being weaponized, indoctrinating everyday people with things that negatively impact their view of themselves (NPR). It is easy to believe that we are seeing the videos that we do because a special algorithm pushes them out to us, but when you look at it from the perspective of every move you make is tracked and calculated to determine what you view, you too may appreciate a ban of the beloved app. The other argument that is being made is the idea that banning the app would do virtually nothing for the country. It has been shared that there is no proof that Bytedance is sharing information with the Chinese government. This would mean that banning it has no effect because the data being collected from TikTok users is not being used in a way that could weaken us in the hands of another country. Many people also believe that banning TikTok is taking away a part of the rights that they are guaranteed. For many, TikTok is an easy way to share their beliefs and get together with people alike. Taking this away from the people that it truly benefits could be detrimental to their mental health and possibly their livelihood (Scientific American). With all of the controversy and debate, it is important to note that no definite decisions have been made. Everything is still up in the air and TikTok may remain as an app available to Americans for years to come. Works Cited Leffer, Lauren. "Banning TikTok Would Do Basically Nothing to Protect Your Data." Scientific American, 22 Mar. 2024,
www.scientificamerican.com/article/tiktok-ban-data-privacy-security/. Pitofsky, Marina. "VP Harris says Biden administration doesn’t want to ban TikTok despite backing bill that would force sale." USA Today, 24 Mar. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/03/24/kamala-harris-ban- tiktok/73084838007/. Walsh, Deirdre, and Bobby Allyn. "Why the House Voted to Ban TikTok and What Could Come Next." NPR, 13 Mar. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/03/13/1237501725/house-vote-tiktok-ban. Yilek, Caitlin. "When Would a TikTok Ban Go into Effect?" CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/tiktok- ban-go-into-effect-senate/.
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