The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act could mean the end of TikTok usage in the United States. The chief concern lies within the social media platform’s owner, ByteDance, and the company’s potential ability to share sensitive information with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Though ByteDance claims it never has and never will share private information, some representatives still consider the app a threat to national security. Lawmakers on the other side of this issue, however, believe this bill to be a breach of the First Amendment and a clear violation of free speech. Introduced by Representative Mike Gallagher and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi on Mar. 5, the bill intends to force ByteDance to relinquish control of the platform, with the company having six months after the bill’s enactment date to do so. If ByteDance is unwilling to fulfill this wish, TikTok will no longer be available nationwide, as Apple and Google would be unable to support the platform.

After the bill was introduced to the House of Representatives, the Energy and Commerce Committee expressed unanimous support for the bill with a 50 to 0 vote. While TikTok supporters called committee members in an attempt to prevent the bill’s progression, this appeared to have the opposite effect. Gallagher told AP News that the phone calls “provided members a preview of how the platform could be weaponized to inject disinformation into our system.” The House vote soon followed, with the bill passing 352 to 65.

Despite majority support in the House, the TikTok bill still has to pass through the Senate before becoming law. On March 8, President Joe Biden declared his support for the bill, telling reporters that “if they [the House] pass it, [he’ll] sign it.” The FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have reason to believe information like “browsing history, location, and biometric identifiers” obtained by TikTok could be provided to the Chinese government. Additionally, while data protection is one factor that comes into play with this bill, it is not officials’ only concern. Some people, like Gallagher, believe TikTok to be the perfect medium for Chinese propaganda to take root in the U.S. According to Representative Nick Lalota of New York’s 1st congressional district, “We have a national security obligation to prevent America’s most strategic adversary from being so involved in our lives.”

Amidst the chaos, opponents of the bill believe the other side is overreacting. They believe that if there are security concerns with TikTok, Americans have the right to know about them. However, they contend their freedom to choose whether or not to utilize the platform should not be taken away. “The answer to CCP-style propaganda is not CCP-style oppression,” Representative Tom McClintock said regarding the bill. “Let us slow down before we blunder down this very steep and slippery slope.” TikTok has also spoken out, saying that American user data is not housed overseas but rather in an Oracle cloud. Oracle, a technology company based in Austin, assumed the responsibility of housing and protecting American users’ information in 2020. A spokesperson speaking on TikTok’s behalf expressed concern for how a nationwide ban would affect “the economy, [the] 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use [their] service.”

Ultimately, American TikTok users have expressed that they will not go down without a fight. Roughly 30 adamant supporters of the app traveled to the White House last week to protest the bill, chanting “keep TikTok” and brandishing signs with slogans like “TikTok changed my life for the better” and “TikTok helped me grow my business.” TikTok has changed the way people and organizations can get famous, as the algorithm allows everyday people to get more views than they would on any other platform. The app has had a massive influence on society over the last eight years. However, the question remains: how will TikTok influence society, if at all, in the years to come?

Written by Abbie Billingsley, Photography: Kaleigh Mazy, Social Media: Clara Valkoun, Videography: Amy Kingston, Styling: Carlee Dillion

TikTok on the Clock