TikTok, the 6th most popular social media platform in the world and the most downloaded mobile app in 2022, is on the verge of being banned in the United States.

The U.S. government cites the security issues stemming from the Chinese IT company that owns Tiktok, known as ByteDance, having control over American information. However, banning Tiktok only sets a precedent for future apps to be banned as well in order to enhance security.

The U.S. isn’t alone in banning Tiktok. India banned Tiktok along with several other Chinese apps. The fact that these countries aren’t the friendliest with China is likely playing a large role in their fights against the increasingly popular apps. The major issue with the apps, and specifically Tiktok, is the data they hand over to the Chinese government. The Chinese not only have the information of their own residents, but also of people across the world who access Tiktok.

The case involving Tiktok vs Congress has been somewhat of a comedic disaster based on clips that were shared on Tiktok, ironically. In these clips we see American questioners interrogating Tiktok CEO Shou ZI Chew regarding how much information the app discloses of its users. They specifically ask whether or not Tiktok connects to wifi. This is the case for all social media apps, not only Tiktok.

According to a recent poll by CBS News, most Americans want Tiktok to be banned in the US. However, when strictly looking at people under the age of 30, there is a larger divide over the issue. This may stem from the fact that Tiktok’s primary users are within this age range, leading to 38% of people in this age range believing the app isn’t a national security risk. In addition, 25% of people under age 30 are unsure of Tiktok being a national risk.

The biggest supporters of a potential ban on Tiktok are adults between the age of 30 and 44 as they promote national security. The Chinese Communist Party owns a 1% stake in ByteDance, which owns Tiktok, leading to direct access of the information of Tiktok’s users

However, a couple questions arise from their clamor: What effect would banning Tiktok have on the amount of information that gets sent to China? and given the fact that China already has tons of information from its U.S. users, Is it worth the ban?

Finally, The banning of Tiktok potentially threatens future social media apps and the right of free speech. This is a reason why progressive lawmakers are currently fighting the ban. Overall, even if Tiktok were to be banned, I don’t believe it would solve the issues of national security prevalent in the U.S.