Congress poised to waste more taxpayer money on absurd media ban

In the United States, there have been more mass shootings this year than days. Our environment continues to be destroyed through threats like the Willow Project. A woman’s right to her own bodily autonomy has been taken away with the overturning of Roe V. Wade. And yet, Congress’s main focus at the moment is banning TikTok???  A silly little app that people do dances on or post comedy videos through. Seriously?

The main reason that the United States government even wants to ban TikTok is because it poses a potential “national security threat” because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could potentially have unlimited access to sensitive information through the app. Apparently, Bytedance, a Chinese company, is required to turn over data to Chinese officials upon request. Government workers in the US already can’t have a TikTok, but does that mean TikTok is so dangerous it needs to be banned for everyone? There are definitely other issues Congress should be focusing on, so is this really the most burning challenge in America right now? 

Well, the simple answer is no, there are obviously more important priorities. TikTok hasn’t posed a direct threat to national security yet. Trying to pass a ban through Congress will only waste valuable time in making actual change in our country. When, according to CNN, guns are the leading cause of death in children (surpassing car accidents in 2020), the potential national security threat that TikTok poses is basically irrelevant. But why do this? If most American citizens understand this as absurdity, then why do it? What will this really change? 

Well, in short, literally nothing. Although there is no concrete plan, Tiktok has already begun negotiations with CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) about national security requirements for the past two years. TikTok’s owner, Shou Zi Chew, according to Time, has pledged to spend $1.5 billion safeguarding U.S data and content from the access of any Chinese government officials. Banning the app will practically do nothing, seeing as though there have already been steps taken to prevent any sort of threat that the app poses.

The truth here is that TikTok is not a direct national security threat, if one at all. Trying to get a bill passed through Congress on this issue will only increase partisanship and waste time and government funding. Just to reiterate, guns are the leading cause of death of teens and children, not car accidents, not cancer, guns. But TikTok, yeah, that is our biggest issue.

by Anika Flores

Published April 24, 2023'

Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue VII