The President of the United States has expressed interest in banning the TikTok app in the US. The country has been in an ongoing public battle with the app’s makers and its parent company, ByteDance, over numerous security issues and potential problems with how moderation is handled. A ban in the US, the country that currently has the largest number of TikTok users, would be a massive blow to the app’s success.
India recently issued a second, and seemingly permanent ban on TikTok, along with dozens of other Chinese apps. The India ban was explained by citing ways in which the app’s security flaws could endanger Indian citizens, but the first ban placed the blame on TikTok inspiring social disarray and “illicit activity”. Trump’s comments about potentially banning TikTok came shortly after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated the government was “looking into” a ban in the US. When Pompeo was pressed for more information about the administration’s factors in the decision, he replied that he “didn’t want to get out in front of the president”.
Now, Bloomberg reports that an interview for the show Full Court Press, which will air this Sunday, includes a discussion with Trump about Pompeo’s comments on TikTok. Trump is quoted saying “It’s something we’re looking at” as a response to questions about a ban on the app. He declined to elaborate on how a ban would take place, whether the US would consider banning additional apps as India has done, or when such an order could go into effect. Similarly, Pompeo was recently asked to follow up on his own comments and reportedly would not repeat the ban threat.
The Reasons for a TikTok Ban Are Important
TikTok has a rocky public perception. To young adults, teens, and most celebrities, it’s the hottest new app and a great way to go viral. For just about everyone else, it’s a privacy stealing security risk hidden behind trendy videos. The narrative that TikTok is being used to get personal data and send that information to China has persisted for over a year now, as the app’s popularity has steadily grown. US institutions like the Federal Trade Commission have ongoing investigations into the app’s security flaws and other countries have also expressed concerns that the app is leaking data to Beijing.
However, anti-China sentiment takes many forms these days. It’s possible some of the willingness to ban TikTok comes from unrelated issues with the country. India has now issued two different TikTok bans with a different reason each time. The second, current ban came just days after a military conflict with China. Similarly, the US government and the Trump administration have traded political blows with China for years now. It’s hard to believe they’re considering a ban entirely due to privacy concerns when so many American apps, like Facebook, have had massive privacy issues.
Furthermore, Trump’s given reasons in the interview made it plain that this isn’t just about American safety. The Bloomberg story explains that Trump considers banning TikTok as an act of getting retribution on China for its role in the coronavirus pandemic. Banning the app for political theatre wouldn’t likely go over well in the US as many people already accuse Trump of using “tough on China” as rhetoric to earn votes from citizens with anti-Chinese prejudices. Blaming the spread of the coronavirus on China also indirectly acquits the Trump administration of its own missteps in handling the pandemic, which means it would help Trump win votes. A TikTok ban in the US would be incredibly divisive.
