If you’ve been on the internet at all in the last few years, you’ve probably heard of TikTok. This social media app is all the rage, inspiring trends, influencing mass media, and even rocketing some of its users into internet stardom.
However, the popular app recently made headlines for another reason—a state-wide ban. On May 17, 2023, Montana governor Greg Gianforte banned TikTok in his state, citing fears of the “Chinese Communist Party” exploiting Americans’ personal data. While this isn’t the first controversy to come out of TikTok, it is part of long-standing speculation that the app is a front for “Chinese spying,” a fear almost as old as the app itself.
The question remains, though: do TikTok users themselves actually care? To find out, Secure Data Recovery polled 1,000 American TikTok users to see how they felt about the ban and general privacy concerns. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of TikTok, with only 18% of users supporting the idea of a ban, and over half expressing concern about potential government overreach.
So, what makes Americans so committed to TikTok? Let’s take a closer look at some of the main insights uncovered by Secure Data Recovery.
1. Most Americans are against the TikTok ban.
Data privacy concerns about TikTok reemerged when CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in a Congressional hearing on March 23, 2023. His testimony revealed that ByteDance engineers in China actually do have some access to U.S. user data through TikTok, lending some credence to Governor Gianforte’s fears.
Still, as mentioned above, a minority of users express support for the TikTok ban. In addition to opposing the Montana ban, the majority of respondents (51%) were also concerned that this could lead to nationwide bans of the app.
2. Americans are more concerned about the U.S. government than the Chinese government.
Despite evidence to support potential breaches of privacy, most TikTok users surveyed expressed concern and skepticism about the U.S. government’s motives in banning the app. For example, 59% said they believe the U.S. government wants to ban TikTok to control the fast spread of information rather than for legitimate security concerns.
The survey also revealed negative sentiments about the ban, with 55% of users viewing it as xenophobic and 73% characterizing it as an act of authoritarianism, akin to Chinese government malfeasance. It seems these feelings could translate to political action, with 25% of respondents stating they’d consider voting against their state governor if TikTok were banned in their state.
3. Americans don’t care about China having their data.
One major revelation from Secure Data Recovery’s survey is just how little Americans seem to care about data security. 61% of respondents said they aren’t worried about China having access to their data. Moreover, if forced to choose between being spied on by China or losing TikTok, 47% of users said they would choose to be spied on, demonstrating the app’s hold on American culture.
Final Thoughts
Despite what seems like never-ending controversy, TikTok remains one of the most popular social media apps in the modern digital landscape. If anything attempts to ban or limit the app fuel its popularity, with users showing their willingness to sacrifice their privacy in favor of staying plugged in.
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Most survey respondents do have contingency plans if the app is banned, with many saying they’d turn to YouTube Shorts (46%) and Instagram Reels (44%). As the U.S. awaits news on other possible bans, one thing’s for sure—they’re nowhere near as popular as the latest TikTok dance craze.