Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill to force ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, to sell the social media platform to a buyer that is not connected with the Chinese government. While the Senate has not passed the bill yet, President Biden has signaled that he will sign it into law should it do so. As TikTok is a widely used app in the United States, the bill has garnered significant debate.   

Those who argue that the United States should force a sale of TikTok argue that doing so will address a legitimate security concern. This side contends that China is the biggest national security threat to our country. They argue that the Chinese government is totalitarian, and that it therefore will have some level of control over the TikTok algorithm and data collection, regardless of what ByteDance says. They claim that the Chinese government can influence elections and sow dissent through TikTok, and that the bill will ensure that this cannot happen.   

Those who argue that the United States government should not force a sale of TikTok argue that concerns over China’s government controlling the app are unfounded. They argue that because TikTok’s data is partly stored in the United States, the government can’t access it. This side also claims that forcing the sale of a social media app would be a violation of freedom of speech. 

So, what do you think? Should the United States Government Force a Sale of TikTok? Students can answer Yes, it should; No, it should not; or a nuanced answer in-between! Be sure to submit your responses by April 25th to be considered for this week’s competition.