TikTok’s Potential Ban Faces Opposition From Some Progressive Democrats Amid Concerns It Could Cause A Gen Z Backlash

Topline

A group of progressive Democrats led by Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) are among the first lawmakers in Congress to express their support for TikTok, despite growing bipartisan efforts to ban the popular social media app, amid concerns that an outright ban could lead to a backlash from the app’s most prominent users—Gen Z.

U.S. representative for New York’s 16th congressional district Jamaal Bowman speaks as TikTok … [+] content creators gather outside the Capitol to voice their opposition to a potential ban on the app, highlighting the platform’s impact on their livelihoods and communities in Washington DC.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Key Facts

Bowman was the first major lawmaker in Congress to speak out in support of TikTok earlier this week, criticizing efforts to ban the app as “fear mongering” and suggesting it was fueled by “xenophobia around China.”

In a recent video posted to his nearly 160,000 followers on TikTok, Bowman argued that banning the platform won’t solve any problem and said “comprehensive legislation” was instead needed to ensure social media user data is kept safe.

The New York Democrat, who is a member of the progressive coalition known as the “Squad,” has since been joined by two other progressive lawmakers, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.).

Rep Pocan expressed his opposition to the ban on Twitter as he urged Congress to “step up & pass real legislation, not just target one company.”

Garcia, who calls himself a “TikTok superconsumer” called for a solution that addresses “security and privacy concerns” about the app while allowing it to “continue in the U.S.” as it is used by millions of Americans to support small businesses and social causes.

What To Watch For

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, where he is likely to be grilled about security concerns surrounding the app and its impact on younger users. According to his prepared remarks, Chew will highlight efforts his company has undertaken to purportedly firewall U.S. user data from its Chinese parent company, and various initiatives it has launched to protect minor users. However, Chew’s testimony is unlikely to move Biden administration officials who have reportedly rejected the company’s proposals and are trying to force its parent ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations.

Contra

A group of bipartisan senators led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has sponsored legislation that would grant special powers to the president to ban apps like TikTok if they are deemed to pose a threat to national security. The White House itself has also expressed support for the so-called RESTRICT Act. Bowman’s stance has also elicited surprise and criticism from some of his colleagues, according to the New York Times, with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) saying: “Anyone defending TikTok is either too caught up in being a social media celebrity or they’ve been brainwashed by the Chinese government’s propaganda.”

News Peg

If it passes, the RESTRICT Act will task Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to “identify and refer to the President” any platform that “poses an undue or unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.” However, Raimondo herself has expressed some concerns about banning TikTok. Last week, she told Bloomberg that “passing a law to ban a single company is not the way to deal with this issue.” Raimondo also noted: “The politician in me thinks you’re gonna literally lose every voter under 35, forever.” She is not the only person to express that concern, as many have warned that banning the popular social media platform could trigger a backlash from its Gen Z users, who are a key voting bloc for the Democrats.

Big Number

54%. That is the percentage of active TikTok users who oppose a ban on the app, compared to 17% who are in favor of it, according to a poll conducted by the Washington Post. Among all American adults, the survey found that a plurality (41%) supports banning the app. The report adds that 59% of Americans between the ages of 18-to-34 used TikTok, and the app’s user base is also “more likely to be female, non-White and to have lower incomes.” All of this could make banning the app a major political minefield for Democrats.