Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She shares her opinions weekly on CNN, contributes columns to The Washington Post, and writes for World Politics Review. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. You can find more opinion pieces on CNN.
Many of the 170 million TikTok users in the United States are feeling anxious after the House of Representatives voted to effectively ban the social media platform. The bipartisan decision to move forward with a bill that would require ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell the app, highlights the depth of concerns. It is noteworthy that this decision was made despite opposition from former President Donald Trump.
Frida Ghitis
Frida Ghitis
The House bill is giving ByteDance five months to divest, or else it will be banned from app stores in the country. It is uncertain if the Senate will consider the bill, but they did try a similar one last year. Senators from both parties were impressed by the bipartisan support shown in the House vote.
National security officials warn that TikTok may pose a threat. However, a closer look at TikTok's content indicates that it is not a neutral platform. It appears to be exacerbating divisions in the US and trying to hide posts on sensitive topics that the Chinese government wants to avoid. (TikTok denies engaging in this practice).
It is understandable why Congress is concerned about limiting China's access to Americans' private data through TikTok. More importantly, there is a worry about China's potential influence on views and opinions in a country that it sees as its main geopolitical rival.
Some headlines suggest that Congress is considering banning TikTok, leading the app to encourage users to contact their representatives and oppose the bill. However, this resulted in TikTok being seen as a tool for manipulating Americans.
The Pew Research Center reports a significant increase in the number of Americans turning to TikTok for news. Between 2020 and 2023, the percentage quadrupled to 14%. Additionally, nearly one-third of adults under 30 state that they regularly rely on TikTok for news updates.
In today's climate of deep division among Americans, tensions are high as we approach a critical election. Looking back at the events of 2020 and especially 2016, where Russia manipulated social media to sow discord, allowing TikTok to remain under Beijing's control would be a failure of our government's duty.
According to a Chinese intelligence law from 2017, Chinese authorities have the authority to access any information from Chinese companies and utilize them for their own agenda. Despite TikTok CEO Shou Chew's claims that the company operates independently from the government and has never been asked for US user data, reality suggests otherwise.
Steven Mnuchin, former Treasury secretary, during a session at the Qatar Economic Forum in May 2023.
Steven Mnuchin, former Treasury secretary, during a session at the Qatar Economic Forum in May 2023.
Christopher Pike/Bloomberg/Getty Images
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Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has shown interest in purchasing TikTok. The repressive Chinese government has a history of making powerful business leaders "disappear" if they express even slight criticisms of government policies. This has been a cause of concern for the global business community, as seen in cases like Jack Ma and Xiao Jianhua. Ma disappeared for months, while Xiao Jianhua was sent to prison after reappearing following his disappearance, serving as a warning for others to comply with the government's expectations.
It's funny to hear China's foreign ministry say that the TikTok bill would disrupt market operations and undermine investor confidence. That claim doesn't hold up.
Interestingly, most of the world's popular social media apps are banned in China unless they are locally based. This allows the government to easily oversee them and their user data. In China, you won't find Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or X.
TikTok has taken steps to protect American users' data by moving it to servers controlled by Oracle. However, the powerful algorithm used by the platform still remains beyond the reach of authorities.
During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines expressed concerns that Beijing could potentially use TikTok to influence the 2024 election. The US Annual Threat Assessment also highlighted how the Chinese government utilized TikTok accounts in 2022 to target candidates from both political parties. Despite China's denial and lack of current evidence according to a US intelligence official, it would be unwise to overlook the possibility of ongoing manipulation.
TikTok has been contributing to political tensions in the US in recent months. A Wall Street Journal analysis discovered that the platform is promoting extreme views on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict, sparking fear and anger. For example, one post falsely claimed that the US is planning to eradicate all Arab countries.
Misleading videos about the US economy have also gained popularity on TikTok, despite the country experiencing historically low unemployment rates. Analysts from Rutgers University noted that TikTok seems to suppress content related to Tibet, the Uyghurs, the Hong Kong protests, and the Tiananmen Square massacre. These topics shed light on the severity of China's repression.
In response to the analyses, TikTok quietly turned off the tool that was being used to track trends on the app.
Wednesday's vote showed a rare moment of agreement in a Washington that is often divided. The bill was approved by a large majority, with 352 votes in favor and 65 against.
Frida Ghitis
Wednesday’s vote was a rare show of unity in a divided Washington. The bill passed by a wide margin — 352 to 65.
Former President Trump faced a surprising rejection from his own party, with only 15 out of 219 Republicans in Congress opposing a bill that he was against.
Trump's stance on the issue has made a complete turnaround. In July 2020, he boldly stated, "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States!" This marked a shift from his previous focus on battling China on trade and Covid-related matters, as he sought to link the country to the pandemic.
Concerns about TikTok’s data collection from millions of Americans were already a big issue for national security. Trump strongly opposed the app, even blocking a possible deal for Microsoft to purchase TikTok.
However, Trump has now changed his stance and is against the bill. He argues that it would benefit Facebook, a company he has called an “enemy of the people,” a phrase he borrowed from the Stalinist purges in the USSR.
It is difficult to say for sure what is behind Trump's change in stance. One possible factor to consider is Republican billionaire Jeff Yass, a major donor who has a stake in ByteDance and has enlisted the help of former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway to advocate against the bill. Conway has met with lawmakers multiple times and has discussed with Trump the importance of protecting TikTok, as reported by the Washington Post.
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Could Trump have been swayed by a propaganda film created by the far-right group Citizens United, which accused Meta's Mark Zuckerberg of causing his defeat in the 2020 election?
Standing up against Trump is a significant step for current congressional Republicans, indicating that worries about TikTok have become widespread. The future of this legislation and how quickly it will progress remains uncertain.
It is undeniable that social media has become incredibly influential, to the point where taking measures to limit TikTok's potential harm should be just the beginning, despite causing some discomfort among users.
The next crucial step is for the government to establish regulations for all social media platforms. Allowing these companies to self-regulate is only exacerbating the issues facing the country.
Editor's P/S:
The article discusses the House of Representatives' vote to effectively ban TikTok in the United States. The vote highlights concerns about the social media platform's potential threat to national security and its ability to exacerbate divisions in the US.
The article raises several important points, including the concerns expressed by national security officials about TikTok's potential to be used by China to collect data on American users and influence public opinion. It also discusses the role that TikTok has played in promoting extreme views on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict and suppressing content related to sensitive topics such as Tibet and the Uyghurs.
The article also highlights the bipartisan support for the bill, with a large majority of both Democrats and Republicans voting in favor of it. It also notes the surprising opposition to the bill from former President Donald Trump, who had previously called for TikTok to be banned in the US.
Overall, the article provides a comprehensive overview of the concerns surrounding TikTok and the move by the House of Representatives to effectively ban the platform in the US. It raises important questions about the role of social media in national security and the need for regulations to address the potential harms associated with these platforms.
