TikTok Ban Support Declines in the US: What's Changing?
Support for banning TikTok in the United States is waning, according to new research from the Pew Research Center. A recent survey revealed that only 34% of American adults now favor a ban, a significant drop from the 50% who supported it in a similar study conducted in 2023.
Interestingly, opposition to the ban has also grown. The number of Americans against the ban increased from 22% in 2023 to 32% in the latest survey. This shift in sentiment appears to be consistent across political affiliations, with support among Republicans and Republican-leaning voters plummeting from 60% to 30% since March 2023. Democrats and Democrat-leaning voters also showed a decrease in support, dropping from 43% to 30%.
TikTok Users vs. Non-Users
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study highlights a stark difference in opinion between TikTok users and non-users. A mere 12% of TikTok users support the ban, while a significantly larger 45% of non-users are in favor of it. This suggests that familiarity with the platform may influence one's perspective on its potential risks and benefits.
Despite the declining support, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. A law was signed last April due to concerns about potential Chinese surveillance, giving ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese owner, a deadline to sell the app to an American company. While companies like Oracle, Microsoft, and Perplexity AI have been rumored to be interested, ByteDance hasn't signaled its intention to sell.
Source: TechCrunch