TikTok is once again facing a potential ban in the United States. The app has been under threat since 2020, as lawmakers increasingly argue that the Chinese government’s relationship with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, raises national security risks.
Do you use TikTok? If so, how much and what for? What, if anything, would you lose if the app were banned?
In “House Passes Bill to Force TikTok Sale From Chinese Owner or Ban the App,” Sapna Maheshwari, David McCabe and Annie Karni write about the March 13 congressional vote:
The House on Wednesday passed a bill with broad bipartisan support that would force TikTok’s Chinese owner to either sell the hugely popular video app or have it banned in the United States.
The move escalates a showdown between Beijing and Washington over the control of a wide range of technologies that could affect national security, free speech and the social media industry.
Republican leaders fast-tracked the bill through the House with limited debate, and it passed on a lopsided vote of 352 to 65, reflecting widespread backing for legislation that would take direct aim at China in an election year.
The action came despite TikTok’s efforts to mobilize its 170 million U.S. users against the measure, and amid the Biden administration’s push to persuade lawmakers that Chinese ownership of the platform poses grave national security risks to the United States, including the ability to meddle in elections.
The result was a bipartisan coalition behind the measure that included Republicans, who defied former President Donald J. Trump in supporting it, and Democrats, who also fell in line behind a bill that President Biden has said he would sign.
The bill faces a difficult road to passage in the Senate, where Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, has been noncommittal about bringing it to the floor for a vote and where some lawmakers have vowed to fight it. And even if it passes the Senate and becomes law, it is likely to face legal challenges.
But Wednesday’s vote was the first time a measure that could widely ban TikTok for consumers was approved by a full chamber of Congress.
The article also discusses some lawmakers’ opposition to the bill:
Several Republicans and Democrats expressed their opposition to the bill based on free speech concerns and TikTok’s popularity in the United States. Some legal experts have said that if the bill were to become law, it would probably face First Amendment scrutiny in the courts.
Representative Maxwell Frost, a Democrat of Florida, said on Tuesday that “not only am I no, but I’m a hell no.” He said the legislation was an infringement of First Amendment rights. “I hear from students all the time that get their information, the truth of what has happened in this country, from content creators on TikTok.” He said he was concerned about Americans’ data, but “this bill does not fix that problem.”
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
What is your reaction to the House bill? Do you think it should become law? Why or why not?
Among lawmakers’ chief concerns about TikTok is that its Chinese ownership poses grave national security risks to the United States. They worry the app could be used to spread misinformation, sow division and meddle in elections. How concerned do you think Americans should be about these potential threats?
In a related guest essay, Julia Angwin, a contributing Opinion writer and investigative journalist, argues that other big tech companies, such as Google, Meta and Microsoft, also collect users’ data, and that foreign countries have used social media sites, like Facebook, to try to influence U.S. elections before. Do you think TikTok is being treated unfairly? Do all big tech companies deserve more scrutiny and regulation?
The last time we asked about banning TikTok, teenagers brought up a trove of other concerns they had about the app, including how “addictive” it is, the inappropriate content and dangerous “challenges” they’ve encountered on it, and its privacy risks. What are your biggest worries about TikTok, if you have any at all?
Students also told us what they like about the platform, including that it offers entertainment, an avenue to learn about what’s going on in the world, a place to express themselves and even a way to make money. What, if anything, do you enjoy about TikTok? What do you want lawmakers to know and understand about how young people use it?
Do you believe this bill is a good solution to the concerns that lawmakers and others have raised about the app? Why or why not? What other solutions are worth considering?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
