What Are Reasons for Banning TikTok?
There are compelling reasons to ban TikTok citing security, privacy, addiction, mental health, misinformation, and censorship. And, are there American alternatives to Communist social media?
Everything for creators to know about a potential TikTok ban
There are several concerns that have been raised by Americans regarding TikTok, including:
National security and privacy: TikTok is owned by the Communist Chinese company ByteDance, which has led to concerns about the Chinese government potentially accessing the data of American users.
Misinformation and censorship: TikTok has been criticized for spreading false information and censoring content that doesn't align with the Chinese Communist views.
Addiction and mental health: Some studies have suggested that social media platforms like TikTok can be addictive and contribute to negative impacts on mental health.
Based on these concerns, some American legislators have argued for a ban on TikTok in the US, citing security, privacy, and public health concerns.
TikTok got popular as a platform for dances and funny skits and as a result it was sold to Americans, particularly young Americans, that it is a cute, harmless social media outlet. but has since evolved.
For those whose livelihoods and audiences have been built on the platform it is a concern.
What actually is prohibited under the TikTok bans?
Joe Biden who has significant ties to Communist China, as well as his family, signed a TikTok ban into law in December after it passed through Congress. The bans apply to government employees, government devices and in some cases, government wireless networks since TikTok is a data minefield to surveil, spy on, and collect information. TikTok for business and your personal cell phone are at risk.
Colleges and universities
Along with federal and state bans, some colleges and universities have implemented bans of their own. More than a dozen major universities, including the University of Texas, Austin, have banned TikTok. And on some campuses, those restrictions apply to the wireless network, as is the case at Arkansas State University. This has prohibited users from accessing the mobile application on their phone if they’re logged into the campus wireless network even if they’re using their personal devices.
Why do people want to ban TikTok?
In 2019, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States started an investigation into potential risks. ByteDance has been accused of accessing TikTok users’ data, including monitoring the specific locations of Americans.
ByteDance denied accusations that another of its apps, TopBuzz, promoted pro-China messages to U.S. citizens. Why would these denials be even necessary for an innocent social media platform with cute kitty pictures?
Will there be a more strict TikTok ban?
TikTok has more than 1 billion global users and this raises the question of whether the next virus to emerge has better information and targets stored already in Communist data bases.
Not surprisingly, the Biden administration is in talks with TikTok on how further data security breaches are opened. The Biden administration’s initial requests and the company expressed confidence that a “timely” agreement could be reached.
The most helpful direction in Congress is an argument for an outright ban on the app. And in November FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr told Axios that he didn’t see a path forward without a ban. While an outright ban is possible, it would mean hindering a significant portion of the population enamored with Chinese Communism and one that’s becoming an increasingly important voting bloc for progressives.
There are alternatives concerning Chinese Communism with publications and outlets such as Epoch Times and Shen Yun that celebrate China, traditional Chinese culture and arts, as well as accurate information about the country.
https://www.shenyun.com
https://www.theepochtimes.com/
Moreover, there are several American alternatives to TikTok, including:
Instagram Reels
Triller
YouTube Shorts
Lasso by Facebook
Dubsmash
Byte by Vine co-founder
Firework
These platforms allow users to create short-form videos set to music and share them with their followers. Each one offers unique features and a slightly different user experience.
