Banning TikTok in the US would alienate Gen Z voters

Edited by Beatriz Montes de Oca
2023-03-28 12:23:03

Pinterest
Telegram
Linkedin
WhatsApp

Tik Tok could be totally banned throughout the United States



Havana, March 28 (RHC) -- The potential ban on TikTok in the United States is raising alarm among some Democrats, who worry the ban will scare off Gen Z voters ahead of the 2024 election.
The block of young people of this generation (born between 1995 and the beginning of the 2000s) played a decisive role for the members of the blue party in the midterm elections last November, hence the concern of many analysts that vetoing the popular application of Chinese origin could alienate these voters next year.
Some Democrats such Alexandria Ocassio-Cortés, Jamaal Bowman, Mark Pocan and Robert García have publicly expressed their opposition to the possible exclusion of Tik Tok throughout the United States.
In a press conference, they highlighted the importance of staying connected with the GenZers and of having a system like said social network to be able to continuously and effectively send messages to all voters in this country.
Since the beginning of the year, more than half of the United States has been banned - partially or totally - from the use of TikTok on government devices, reflecting a wave of drastic measures against that social network.
The obstruction by governors and state agencies against the global short video platform extends to regions governed by Republicans and Democrats across the country, according to CNN.
This progression of the ban began in mid-December when the Senate unanimously passed legislation to ban the use of the app on government phones and devices.
Called the "No TikTok on Government Devices Act," the bill - introduced by Republican Josh Hawley - makes it impossible for people associated with the government to download or use the social network on any device issued by the United States or a government corporation.
But the crusade against TikTok dates back to an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) that tried to ban new downloads of the popular Chinese application.
However, in July 2021, the current president revoked Trump's order, although it called for a review by the Department of Commerce with the aim of identifying the alleged security risks that they imply for citizens.
While in mid-2022, the popular network found itself again in the midst of provocations from the United States towards China, after the Senate Intelligence Committee asked to investigate it for alleged espionage and data leaks in favor of Beijing.
Likewise, last November, Republican Party legislators accused the platform of providing “false or misleading” information about the use of user data.
In a letter to the Tik Tok’s chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, the Republicans demanded that he hand over a series of documents, electronic records and communications related to the location tracking of US users.
Under such pressure, Shou Zi Chew was held accountable last Thursday in Congress, where he faced for several hours an intense line of bipartisan questions.
However, a date has not yet been defined to bring the total ban to a vote, which, if approved, must pass through the House of Representatives and then be signed by President Joe Biden to become law.
TikTok, which allows the recording, editing and sharing of short music videos, currently has more than 100 million active users in the United States, according to the Statista portal, which is why it is considered one of the most popular applications in the country. (Source: Prensa Latina)


Commentaries


MAKE A COMMENT
All fields required
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
captcha challenge
up