The simple ease of scrolling has become addicting for many people, especially in the younger generation. Released in late 2016 and gaining popularity right before the Covid-19 pandemic, Tik Tok has become a constant for millions of viewers and content creators. However, the cult phenomenon might be soon coming to an end due to a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives last week.
With the app originally being created in Beijing, China, members of the US government are concerned about the national security risk that the algorithm poses in America. In 2021, Singaporean entrepreneur and businessman Shou Zi Chew took over the company as the new CEO. Despite being taken over by a company owned by Singapore, there is still shareholder stock owned by the company Bytedance, a Chinese company.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers commented in a report, “We have given TikTok a clear choice. Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), and remain operational in the United States, or side with the CCP and face the consequences.”
In a recent survey conducted by the SDHS journalism team, 69.3% of students at Soddy Daisy High School believe that Tik Tok should not be banned in the United States. Not only students of SDHS, but also the entire younger generation of America has shown obvious interest in the fight to save the app.
After the bill was passed by the House of Representatives, it was senton the route to the Senate. However, it could be months before they come to an official decision about moving the bill to be signed. If that were the case, President Biden has already expressed that if it were to come across his desk, he would sign the bill into action.
