Ban Or Bye-Bye ByteDance? U.S. Voters Weigh In On TikTok's Fate

By Victor Smiroff | Sunday, 31 March 2024 01:45 AM
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Ban Or Bye-Bye ByteDance? U.S. Voters Weigh In On TikTok's Fate

A recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University reveals that a slight majority of Americans, 51%, are in favor of a House bill that would prohibit the operation of TikTok in the United States unless the platform is sold to a company without affiliations to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The poll, conducted between March 21-25, also found that 41% of Americans support a complete national ban on the social media platform, while 47% oppose such a move.

The poll, which included 1,569 U.S. adults and was conducted via telephone interviews, both cellphones and landlines, reports a margin of error of 2.5%. The results show a clear divide along age lines, with younger Americans, specifically those aged 18 to 34, being more likely to oppose the House legislation. Among this demographic, 60% opposed the bill, while only 35% supported it.

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed a bill requiring TikTok to divest itself of any CCP control or face a ban in the U.S. The legislation, led by House China Select Committee Chair Rep.

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Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and ranking member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., stipulates that TikTok's parent company, Bytedance, must divest from the platform within 165 days of the bill's passage. Furthermore, the bill requires that the platform be purchased by a country that is not considered a U.S. adversary.

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Critics of TikTok have long voiced concerns about the platform, labeling it a national security threat. They argue that the Chinese government could potentially exploit its power over Bytedance to access sensitive user data, even from users in the U.S., a claim that the company has consistently denied. Critics also warn that TikTok's popularity among young Americans provides the CCP with a platform for a mass influence campaign.

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In the lead-up to the vote on the bill, opponents, including young people and activists, inundated Congress with phone calls and messages urging them not to restrict access to TikTok. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, one of the bill's lead co-sponsors, told Fox News Digital that lawmakers' offices received calls from individuals threatening suicide over the potential ban.

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The bill was passed in the House with a broadly bipartisan 352-65 vote. The results of the Quinnipiac University poll suggest that public opinion is somewhat aligned with this legislative decision, albeit with a notable age-based divide.

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