Growing opposition to TikTok ban emerges among Democratic lawmakers

A small group of Democratic lawmakers is opposing the proposed ban on TikTok, stating that the social media platform is crucial in engaging young voters before the high-stakes election cycle.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) is leading the efforts to oppose the potential ban as he defends the app alongside content creators, dismissing the idea that the app poses a national security risk. Bowman argued that the Red Scare created around China and TikTok is fearmongering and that the app doesn’t pose a higher threat than other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Bowman criticized racial bias as a motivation for the anti-TikTok talks, stating that the U.S. domestic social media companies have similar data collection policies. He urged for a comprehensive conversation about legislation that ensures the safety of social media platform users and their information security.

The ban will harm not only teenagers who enjoy the app but also local businesses and educators, warned Bowman. Furthermore, he warned that a TikTok ban would endanger lawmakers politically, as the app has a large following among young voters—the Democratic Party’s crucial voting bloc.

Bowman was joined by Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Robert Garcia (D-CA) as they advocate the defense of TikTok’s operation within the country. However, some other lawmakers are unwilling to come out against the ban without more information on the app’s policies and practices.

Public opinion appears divided on whether the government should ban TikTok in the U.S., with nearly half the nation (49%) in favor of the ban, according to a poll from Quinnipiac University. Republican lawmakers supporting the ban state that it is crucial for national security, citing China’s laws, which require companies to share user data with the Chinese government.

The growing opposition against the TikTok ban comes one day before CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before Congress to highlight the app’s popularity in the U.S. TikTok has gradually expanded its lobbying campaign efforts in the past years, making it the fourth-highest federal lobbying expense of any internet company, according to OpenSecrets.

President Joe Biden has expressed his support for legislation that could further regulate or ban foreign platforms, including TikTok. However, Biden himself has appeared in several of the app’s short videos, with the White House standing by its national security concerns.

Republican lawmakers and several Democrats have come out in support of the ban. Those who support the ban state that TikTok, under its current ownership structure, is an unmitigable threat to the country’s national security.

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