(LibertySociety.com) – With increased concerns about national security in the United States, more lawmakers have become friendlier with the idea of either forcing the sale of TikTok to a United States owned entity or banning the app nationwide. A majority of Americans are in favor of a ban, with 61% agreeing that the company should not operate in the United States, according to a recent CBS/YouGov poll. Although TikTok is currently headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with user data stored in Virginia and Singapore, its parent company is ByteDance, which is headquartered in China.
However, it seems that although most participants in the poll overall were supportive of a ban, this didn’t apply to younger people. According to the CBS/YouGov poll that surveyed over 2,000 adults in the United States over a span of two days just prior to the CEO of TikTok testifying before Congress, only 39% of adults who fall into the Gen Z age category wish to see the app banned. This is in stark contrast to the feelings of older age categories, all of which polled at well over 50% in favor of a ban. Over 83% of Americans who were polled do have at least some concerns about malign actors on social media pushing foreign influence on Americans, with 72% of Conservatives who were polled believing TikTok is a national security risk, while just 45% of Liberals polled feel the same way.
TikTok influencers were invited by the company to share stories about what TikTok has done for their lives the day before the CEO was set to testify in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Shou Chew, the CEO of TikTok, also posted a video on the app after arriving in Washington D.C. to celebrate the milestone of 150 million TikTok users in the United States, vowing to provide lawmakers with assurances of the security of user data in America. He also warned that lawmakers are considering banning the app, stating “Now this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you,” asking users to comment on his video with things that they love about the app.
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