Angelina Handris

Video-sharing app TikTok is on the brink of being banned.

The United States House of Representatives has voted in favor of passing a bill  that would ban the China-based video sharing app TikTok, due to claims that it is being used as spyware and as a means of spreading propaganda.

Concerns about TikTok have arisen due to possible cybersecurity threats posed by the app. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has allegedly been linked to the Chinese Communist Party, according to U.S. lawmakers. This means the Chinese government could legally gain access to American data if it was requested. TikTok has denied this, and American lawmakers have yet to provide evidence that the app has shared data with Chinese authorities. 

James Beaman, sophomore, is a user of TikTok and opposes the ban.

“Most people I know use it. In my family, too. I would say most of them have the app and maybe 80% use it constantly,” Beaman said. “People can use it to promote their businesses, sell stuff, all kinds of things.” 

TikTok is a platform where users can create and watch short-form video content.  According to the Associated Press, TikTok has over 170 million users in the US. 

“I use it for entertainment,” Beaman said. “Dancing, video game videos, stuff like that.” 

The bill passed through the House of Representatives by a vote of 352-65. According to the Associated Press, if the bill passes through the Senate, President Joe Biden has stated that he will sign it. 

“If they pass it, I’ll sign it,” Biden told reporters while on his way to a campaign event in Pennsylvania. 

2024 is not the first time the U.S. government has taken action toward banning TikTok. Former President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok by signing an executive order, but the motion was blocked by federal courts. Other efforts to ban TikTok made by lawmakers have also stalled. 

If the bill passes, it will give TikTok two options: sell to an American company within six months, or be banned in the U.S. 

“[TikTok] can be just fine without America,” Beaman said. “I don’t think a global company changing its ways and dynamics just for one country is going to happen.”  

A ban would also set a precedent for the government restricting access to apps and websites in the future. A ban of this nature has never been put into place before. 

TikTok is not only used for entertainment, but also as a way for creators to promote small businesses or raise awareness about certain social or political issues. For this reason, TikTok creators gathered in Washington DC to protest the ban. 

 “A lot of people have businesses,” Beaman said. “If you take it away, it’s going to be difficult for a lot of people to find another way to make money.” 

Some argue that the banning of TikTok would infringe on Americans’ rights to free speech. Montana district courts have already declared the ban a threat to constitutional rights, and have blocked the bill. TikTok is used as a way for creators to express themselves and talk about world issues. It is argued that taking away a platform Americans use to share their ideas jeopardizes their rights.

“We, as citizens of this country, constitutionally have freedom of speech and expression. Banning an app that we use to communicate is silencing us,” Beaman said. 

As of April 2024, the bill has not yet passed through the Senate. The future of TikTok remains unclear.