A new poll indicates that Americans disapprove of the government’s planned ban on TikTok. Opposition to the ban is growing and with it, U.S. corporate interest in buying the app has been rekindled. According to a new Pew Research Center survey, just 34 percent of those surveyed approve of banning TikTok. At the same time, opposition has jumped to 32%, up from 22% just this past spring. This alteration underscores a waning excitement for legislative action to ban the widely used social media site.
The most striking thing we found in the research was surprising. For instance, TikTok non-users were almost four times as likely to favor a ban compared to those who actively use the app. For instance, only 12% of TikTok users were in favour of a ban, compared to 45% of non-users. This difference suggests that real app users are less likely to support its removal.
Corporate Interest in Purchasing TikTok
Speculation abounds about possible interest from American technology companies such as Oracle, Microsoft and Perplexity AI in buying TikTok. Even though this speculation has run wild, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has not indicated that they plan to sell the app. The fate of TikTok in the United States is anything but certain as these dramatic developments continue to play out.
Legislation to ban TikTok found bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress when former President Donald Trump agreed to that plan and his effective signing it into law last April. Its popularity has waned ever since. The impetus behind that decision was fears that the Chinese government might use the app for surveillance purposes.
When President Donald Trump was getting ready to assume the presidency, TikTok temporarily went dark for roughly twelve hours. Following this short period of inactivity, the service came back up. This incident coincided with Trump’s decision to extend ByteDance’s sale deadline by three months, pushing it from January 19 to April 19.
Author’s Opinion
As opposition to the TikTok ban rises, it is clear that many Americans are beginning to question the government’s aggressive stance on the app. While national security concerns remain, the growing backlash indicates that a more balanced approach may be needed to address the issue without alienating users or dismissing the app’s widespread popularity.
