TikTok fans in the United States have responded with alarm over the US House of Representatives’ approval of a bill that would ban the app in the country if TikTok does not divest from its Chinese parent company.
The House of Representatives passed the bill on Wednesday, and US President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it passed the Senate.
A ban of TikTok would have a vast effect on the United States, where tens of millions of users watch it daily.
The move comes amid concerns over TikTok potentially sharing user data with the Chinese government or that the Chinese government would manipulate content for a pro-China agenda.
TikTok creator Ariella Elm told AFP, “If it was really about the things they were saying, then we would be having this conversation with (X owner) Elon Musk, who basically could change American politics at a whim.”
Another TikTok creator, Nathan Espinoza, told AFP he felt the app was misunderstood, noting he considered it was not full of Chinese propaganda or messages from the Chinese Communist Party.
“But for me, it’s actually been the only social media where I’ve seen an even representation of all sides of politics,” Espinoza said, adding it also played a major role in the digital media industry and marketing for small businesses.
Creator Steven King told AFP millions of people from all walks of life would feel the blow of a ban.
However, some TikTok users felt a ban would not be an entirely bad thing, feeling it could protect them and national security, and lead to less time wasted watching its content.
