Why the government should ban TikTok

Roughly 170 million Americans while away untold hours on TikTok, the hyper-addictive social media platform. The fact that such a large number of our citizens avail themselves of this app explains why a recent law that would ban it has been met with ferocious opposition. The law would force China-based ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell off the ridiculously popular app. If the sale does not occur, the law would seek to ban the app in America. The controversial law is virtually guaranteed to face a court challenge on First Amendment grounds. Then again, TikTok has fared well against such efforts in recent years. For example, the federal judiciary blocked former president Donald Trump’s attempt to ban the app in 2020. Montana tried – and failed – to do the same. As was the case with telecom giant Huawei a few years ago, concerns about America’s national security are at the forefront of this kerfuffle. Specifically, several legislative and national security leaders have expressed concern that the Chinese Communist Party is able to access Americans’ personal data. Naturally, TikTok is responding to the law. In a rare on-camera interview, Vice president of Public Relations, Michael Beckerman, strongly defended the company....