Americans have taken to social media to decry the order of the Trump administration to ban video social app Tiktok.
Recall that the U.S. Department of Commerce, under President Donald Trump, announced on Friday that it is banning downloads of the video social app and WeChat starting this Sunday, September 20.
According to Good Morning America, the Trump administration announced the measure was necessary to “safeguard the national security of the United States.”
Trump released an executive order in August about the threat posed by video social app, claiming that the Chinese-owned app may “allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information, potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.”
In response to this, TikTok released a statement to discredit Trump’s claim from U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas after Trump first threatened to ban TikTok in early August.
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The U.S. Department of Commerce’s full ban of TikTok won’t go into effect until after the election on November 12. However, WeChat is already having more drastic restrictions placed starting on Sunday: GMA reports that the U.S. will ban the transfer of funds or processing payments when used in the country.
U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross released a statement celebrating Trump’s move.
Today’s actions prove once again that President Trump will do everything in his power to guarantee our national security and protect Americans from the threats of the Chinese Communist Party,” Ross said. “At the President’s direction, we have taken significant action to combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data, while promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations.
Public opinion regarding the development has swayed both for – and against the order directing the ban of Tiktok in the US. In support of the ban, one user on twitter said: “The US isn’t the only country to ban TikTok. India had more users than we do and they banned app too. The security concerns with Chinese govt. controlled apps are very real.
The US isn’t the only country to ban TikTok. India had more users than we do and they banned the app too. These countries are considering a #tiktokban:
• Japan, Pakistan, UK, Australia, Turkey, Indonesia
The security concerns with Chinese Govt. controlled apps are very real.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) September 18, 2020
Another user who wanted Tiktok to stay said: TikTok has really helped a generation of depressed teens feel like they belong. Tiktok is more than dancing and funny videos. There are so many things on Tiktok from relatable memes, school help, feeling more confident in your self. That’s all I gotta say. #tiktokban.”
TikTok has literally helped a generation of depressed teens feel like they belong.Tiktok is more then dancing and funny videos. There are so many different things on tiktok from relatable memes,school help, and feeling more confident in yourself. That’s all I gotta say #tiktokban pic.twitter.com/LYn9hvvTuP
— sara (@thisisnot_sara) September 18, 2020
See other reactions below:
trump banning tiktok for stealing user data but facebook been doing the same thing for years make it make sense chile #tiktokban pic.twitter.com/CVjr7M75Q7
— 𝐉𝐀𝐘 (@peryitpooh) September 18, 2020
gen z if tiktok actually gets banned #tiktokban pic.twitter.com/kbSpXhbE9c
— Anderson Smith (@_andersonsmith_) September 18, 2020
The #tiktokban is needed because:
• China controls everything on the app
• China’s collecting data on Americans
• China can theoretically be saving blackmail to use on Americans
• China has open channel for propaganda via algorithm deciding what you see
• Can be used to spy
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) September 18, 2020
#tiktokban = "The nerve of this company spying on our citizens and stealing their data. Only American companies can do that!!"
— 🇺🇸Josh Keaton🇵🇪 (@joshkeaton) September 18, 2020
tiktokers when they'll have to find a job after the #TikTokBan pic.twitter.com/kPDnI0hruD
— ً (@brwnko) September 18, 2020
so let me get this straight. we are in the middle of a pandemic that has killed 200k americans,the economy is trash,and there are mass protests against police brutality but trump wants to focus on banning tik tok? #tiktokban pic.twitter.com/7423eG1Ol1
— abbi (@fallawaybandito) September 18, 2020
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