Starters Jonathan Milner Starters Jonathan Milner

Do most American still support a Tik Tok Ban?

Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

  1. Based on the visual above, last year, in March 2023 what percent of Americans supported the government banning TikTok?

  2. Based on the visual above, six months later, in September-October 2023 what percent of Americans supported the government banning TikTok?

  3. What do you think explains the change in support of banning TikTok.

  4. Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that, if passed in the Senate and signed into law, would restrict TikTok’s ability to operate in the United States. How does this illustrate the concept of bicameralism?

  5. Based on the visual below*, how does age and party affiliation impact support for the government banning TikTok?

  6. 35% of Americans are not sure about a TikTok ban. I’m not sure about those 35% of Americans. Explain whether you support the government banning TikTok.

  7. Last year, TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew's was called before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. There, U.S. lawmakers battered TikTok's CEO about potential Chinese influence over the platform and said its short videos were damaging children's mental health, reflecting bipartisan concerns about the app's power over Americans. How does this event illustrate Congress’s oversight powers.

  8. The TikTok hearing may also have created a new group of lobbyists. ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, flew out more than 30 famous TikTokkers to Washington to advocate for the app, the New York Times reported. Explain whether Byte Dance’s use of the political process has worked.

  9. Recently, a number of members of congress at a tik tok hearing refered to Tik Tok at Tic Tac - the It’s no surprise when members of Congress, who are famously out of touch when it comes to how the internet works, barely seem to understand some of the technical questions they’re asking, let alone the answers. At least three different representatives in the hearing called the app “Tic Tac,” which is a breath mint. One clip that has been widely circulating on the app is one of US Rep. Richard Hudson, who represents North Carolina’s 9th district, questioning Chew on how WiFi connectivity works. “So if I have a TikTok app on my phone and my phone is on my home WiFi network,” Hudson asked, “does TikTok access that network?” “Does TikTok access my battery to steal my electricity?” one user said, mocking Hudson. Users are also posting POV’s on the app, reenacting their own versions of the hearing. “What color is the algorithm?” said user Christian Divyne in a video mocking some of the questions Congress members asked Chew. The video ended up getting over one million views, with over 250,000 likes as of this writing. In all seriousness, some TikTok users have pointed out that people with no understanding of technology should not be regulating it. Make a claim explaining whether the democratic process helps or hinders the regulation of technology.

  10. Let’s say that the U.S. government decided to ban TikTok. What Amendment of the U.S. Constitution might a lawyer representing Tik Tok cite as a defense for why they should not be help liable for the thefts.

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

Contact your old Senators by email or on TikTok and tell them what they should do about TikTok.

Get Creative

Make a TikTok about your feelings about a US ban of TikTok and share it on TikTok with other TikTokers.

Learning Extension

Listen to this short NPR story about the constitutionality of a TikTok ban.

 
 
@trifoliumgirl Neal Dunn calls TikTok Tic tac during the hearing of TikTok's CEO Mr. Shou Chew. People laugh in reaction. Compares TikTok to cancer. #tictac #mrshouchew #shouchew #shouchewhearing #tiktoksenate #mrdunntictac #nealdunntictac #tiktoktictac #callingtiktoktictac ♬ original sound - TrifoliumGirl
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