TikTok, politics, and polarisation
Despite being one of the world's most popular apps, TikTok is facing some blanket bans by institutions like the BBC and the UK government. Shou Zi Chew, the platform’s CEO, also met with US Congress in mid-March amid ongoing threats of a national ban. The focus of this potential ban is centred around whether or not the app is subject to the influence of the Chinese government – and would be subject to a long and complicated legal battle. With the app recently announcing that it had hit 150 million daily users in the US, the ramifications of a ban would be felt well beyond the courtroom. TikTok is used for everything from challenging White-washed franchises to shopping directly through the app and has even become a source of medical and contraceptive advice – whether misplaced or not. Of course, there are reservations about the platform, like how AI-enhanced filters are moving us further and further away from the truth or with parents’ fears that algorithmic-induced addictions are leading to potentially harmful screen time.
Political policy that impacts people’s access to social media isn’t usually associated with Western democracies. A blanket ban on TikTok, from a Democratic administration, would indicate how the tense geopolitical landscape we are living through is seeping directly into popular culture – and how that polarisation is directly altering how people can interact with the world. With one college’s campus-wide ban of the app already fanning the flame of discontent, the disconnect between political policy and the power of people will no doubt be furthered if a national ban is instated.
