Time Tiking Out?

Almost anyone you ask nowadays has TikTok installed or has at least heard of the popular social media app, but is this app causing problems, or is Congress overreacting to it? 

TikTok, originally named Musically before the rebranding in 2018 has exploded into one of the most popular apps among people spanning from The United States of America to Australia. This app is loved by a multitude of people, hence the app having over one billion active users. Melisa Mehmedovic is one of those billion users and believes Tiktok has its strengths and weaknesses “I think Tiktok is fun but you can catch yourself getting carried away and using it way more than you first believe you are. I had 28 total hours on Tiktok last week.” 

TikTok is not loved by everyone, including the U.S congress. On March 23, 2023, Tiktok CEO Shou Zi Chew was to be questioned in court surrounding the app’s legality and safeness. The U.S congress went into this case with the intent to embarrass the CEO of TikTok Shou Zi Chew and expose the owners of the app for what Congress believed was happening behind the scenes of the app. Since the app is owned by Bytedance which is a Chinese company, the U.S congress was concerned about the overall safety of the users and the data usage of the app. Marc Benz has a semi-controversial opinion on what officials believe TikTok is doing “Even if they are collecting data, what’s the big deal? Almost every social media app collects its user’s data.”

During this hearing, the exact opposite happened with congress members asking very bad questions such as when 1st District Georgia chairman Buddy Carter was quoted “Does the app track pupil dilation as a form as facial recognition” to which Chew responded with “The app does not use body, face, or voice data to identify users, and the only face data the app collects is filters to have sunglasses on your face.” The congress members then asked another question which was responded to in another valid response by Chew. This was the first instance of the multitude of lackluster questioning from Congress.

Another instance during this case that has garnered attention is when Chew was questioned about using a WiFi network. “So if I have a TikTok app on my phone and my phone is connected to my home WiFi network, does TikTok access that network,” asked North Carolinas 9th district representative Richard Hudson. Ironically the clip has been posted all over TikTok with users mocking and making fun of Congress for these inadequate questions. Madison Hasty has similar opinions to many of these users “I honestly think it’s dumb, there are problems to be more worried about in the world that congress should be talking about but instead their spending time debating an app.”

With all things considered, the lifespan of TikTok will continue to be in question as Congress and others push for the renovation or banning of the app while others hope actions aren’t taken any further.