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You Vote: Should the US impose a nationwide ban on TikTok?

As U.S. officials warn the app threatens national security, calls are growing for government action.

Published: November 30, 2022 12:33pm

Updated: November 30, 2022 3:10pm

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday called the social media app TikTok a national security threat and banned it from all state devices.

"I hope other states will follow South Dakota's lead, and Congress should take broader action, as well," said Noem.

Several members of Congress have called for a TikTok ban. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), for example, is cosponsoring legislation calling for a nationwide ban with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, recently told Fox News that parents shouldn't let their children download the video platform.

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. U.S. officials have expressed concern about the prospect of the app's extensive data harvesting being accessible by the Chinese government.

Earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers that he's "extremely concerned" about TikTok's operations in the U.S.  

"We do have national security concerns at least from the FBI's end about TikTok," Wray told members of the House Homeland Security Committee in a hearing about worldwide threats.

"They include the possibility that the Chinese government could use it to control data collection on millions of users," he explained. "Or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations if they so choose. Or to control software on millions of devices, which gives it opportunity to potentially technically compromise personal devices."

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has called TikTok "a sophisticated surveillance tool" that "poses an unacceptable national security risk," while the U.S. military has banned personnel from using it. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr demanded a complete U.S. ban on the short-form video app.

What do you think? Amid such concern, should the federal government make it illegal to use TikTok? Here's your chance to weigh in:

Would you support a nationwide ban on the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok for national security reasons?

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