On March 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill with a vote of 352 to 65 that would force ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell the social media platform or have the app banned in the United States. TikTok collects a litany of user data, ranging from how people engage with different videos and their browsing history to more personal information, like their location and age. Chinese law dictates that the Chinese Communist Party should have access to all of this information, creating national security concerns that Americans’ personal data could fall into the hands of an increasingly hostile government.
Despite the threat posed by TikTok’s parent company, one billion users still interact with the app’s short-form videos and creative challenges. American youth are especially captivated by the platform, with teenagers logging on for an average of 1.5 hours per day. This demographic has reacted strongly to the recent developments on Capitol Hill, responding en masse to a TikTok notification telling them to call their representatives and voice their opposition to the bill.
The support for TikTok that lawmakers have seen from their younger constituents is unsurprising, given the entertainment value and addictive nature of the app. For many people, TikTok is a space for self-expression, creativity and community. Central to the opposition of the ban is the fear of content suppression. The risk of losing this vibrant online ecosystem has prompted users to advocate fiercely for the preservation of their digital sanctuary.
TikTok also comes with its drawbacks. Beyond the problem of data privacy, the algorithm promotes divisive content, creating harmful echo chambers. For young people, TikTok is highly addictive and contributes to a growing mental health crisis.
Many of the politicians who have voiced concerns about TikTok remain avid users of it. Representatives Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., are among the numerous elected officials that voted in favor of the possible TikTok ban despite commanding large followings on the platform. Even President Biden — who continues to affirm he will sign the bill into effect if the U.S. Congress passes it — recently made an account, leaving many young voters confused with his stance. These acts of hypocrisy cast doubt on how serious lawmakers are about protecting Americans’ data; they use TikTok as a political organizing tool for their own benefit, while simultaneously asserting that it is harmful to consumers.
If Congress is genuinely concerned about this issue, it should widen the scope of its legislation beyond just ByteDance. Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat all collect similar amounts of sensitive information to TikTok. A 2021 analysis found that Instagram shares 79% of user data with third parties and Facebook shares 57%. Meta may be less dangerous than the Chinese government, but it certainly isn’t benign. If lawmakers are taking on TikTok for the reasons they claim — data privacy and consumer protection — and not just to appear tough on China, they should tackle privacy breaches wherever they arise.
This isn’t to say that American social media platforms should be banned. The bill, named the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, wouldn’t allow the government to take such a step. Congress should, however, protect the people that use these platforms from highly invasive data collection. For that, new legislation is necessary.
The potential ban against TikTok provides Americans, and especially young people, with a unique opportunity to catalyze Congressional action on data privacy. If the TikTok bill is passed by the Senate and signed into law, young people should use the momentum to push for action against Meta and other such companies. Former President Donald Trump explained his opposition to the bill, saying, “There are a lot of people on TikTok that love it. There are a lot of young kids on TikTok who will go crazy without it.” Our generation is capable of demonstrating more maturity than Trump gives us credit for, and is farsighted enough to realize we deserve a right to privacy on the internet.
Social media companies may play a large role in our lives, but they should not be immune from facing the consequences of sacrificing user privacy in the name of profits. Our data should not be bought and sold by large corporations, whether that be to advertisers or foreign governments. Social media is important to us. We rely on it for news, entertainment, activism and keeping up with friends. But our data privacy is more important.
We don’t have to sacrifice one to have the other. Social media platforms can stop collecting our personal information while remaining active, entertaining online spaces. We can demand that TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and the like stop sharing our data without losing the utility these applications provide us. Now that Congress has ByteDance in its sights, that demand seems more possible than ever.
This editorial represents the opinion of The Michigan Daily’s Editorial Board. If you are interested in submitting an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor, please send your submission to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.