The TikTok app is displayed on an iPhone screen. President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package that includes a bill that would ban TikTok if China-based parent company ByteDance fails to sell the app to an American company within a year. (Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
With the possibility of a TikTok ban looming for early next year, polls show that not everyone is behind the ban. Florida residents appear to be strongly opposed to it - and the differences appear to be politically motivated.
According to HostingAdvice.com, the publishers of the study, "Although a TikTok ban is viewed as a bipartisan issue, states tend to follow party lines on the topic, according to the survey results. Almost all of the states that most support a ban are historically blue, while those that oppose it are traditionally red."
Here's the data, Florida certainly fits that statment:
TikTok Ban - For And Against According To The Study
Top 3 States That Most Support a TikTok Ban
- Rhode Island: 43.5% support, 41.3% oppose
- Connecticut: 43.1% support, 41.2% oppose
- Maryland: 42.6% support, 38.3% oppose
Top 3 States That Most Oppose a TikTok Ban
- Mississippi: 75.5% oppose, 10.2% support
- Florida: 66.7% oppose, 25.5% support
- Texas: 66.1% oppose, 25.4% support
Will A TikTok Ban Actually Happen?
The law that was passed says that if TikTok doesn't sell itself, the ban will be enforced on January 19, 2025. The basis of the ruling states that the Chinese government may be using TikTok to access sensitive user data. They may also be using the algorithm to influence American behavior. A lot of people here in the US actually get their news from TikTok, the potential for the platform being used to push propaganda is real.
36% of TikTok users believe the Chinese government can access their data through TikTok. This view is held by 46% of Republicans and 34% of Democrats. But wait, that seems backwards. Doesn't it?
It is, however, very likely that even without a sale, that deadline will pass as the issue will be tied up in court for quite some time. So if you're a Florida TikTok influencer - no need to panic just yet. But....
The Supreme Court
Since we're on the topic of social media and censorship, a related Supreme Court ruling came down yesterday. According to CNN "White House and federal agencies such as the FBI may continue to urge social media platforms to take down content the government views as misinformation."
This means the Department of Homeland Security can continue flag posts on Facebook and X that they deem misinformation. This is a key ruling in an election year as foreign countries could try to influence the election with untrue and misleading posts. The downside being that the Secretary of Homeland Security is a position appointed by the President, meaning there's a likely political affiliation. So the potential for political bias on what's deemed 'misinformation' is possible.
Florida
So why does Florida and other red states oppose the TikTok ban when blue states are for it? That's even though nearly half of Republicans believe TikTok is sharing user data with the Chinese government. And why do Democrats want it banned when only a third of them think the same is true? Maybe that's something that will come up in the debate or in the course of the election campaigning.
Both candidates have TikTok accounts, Trump with 7 million followers, and Biden with 387,000.
