A TikTok star with 1.1 million followers has said she is in favor of the US banning the popular app after becoming alarmed at how the algorithm is presenting her with increasingly disturbing content.
The House passed legislation Saturday that would prohibit Tik Tok in the United States if the owner of the popular social media platform, based in China, does not sell its stake within a year.
Comedian Zach Sage Fox has said he can see the positive side of a ban after worrying about the impact on the platform, particularly when it comes to sensitive topics such as the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“I’m terrified by what I’m seeing on TIkTok,” Fox told New York Post.
“In recent months, when it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict, despite all the biggest sources of misinformation, TikTok is just a gold mine,” he said.
Comedian Zach Sage Fox says he favors banning TikTok because of the platform’s role in spreading misinformation about sensitive topics like the Israel-Gaza conflict.
“In recent months, regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, despite all the biggest sources of misinformation, TikTok is just a gold mine,” Fox said.
The House passed a bill to ban TikTok amid concerns about hate speech and misinformation, and even some TikTok content creators supported it.
“There seems to be something going on in the algorithm that is trying to dirty the West.”
Fox’s concerns are shared by those in US political circles who have expressed alarm over TikTok’s popularity among young people, alleging that it allows Beijing to spy on users.
It has 170 million in the United States alone and 76 percent of Generation Z admit to using the app.
Critics also say TikTok is subservient to Beijing and is a conduit for spreading propaganda. China and the company deny such claims.
“I believe that, with the glass half full, millions of young people will be deprived of the information that is channeled from China and will turn to sources that, while not perfect, will have at least some factual oversight,” Fox said.
The bill that could lead to a total ban on TikTok in the United States was approved by 360 votes in favor and 58 against, with broad bipartisan support.
It could now trigger the rare measure of banning a company from operating in the US market and will now go to the Senate for a vote next week.
The bill that could lead to a total ban on TikTok in the United States was approved by 360 votes in favor and 58 against, with broad bipartisan support. President Mike Johnson speaks with members of the press after the House of Representatives passed bills.
The TikTok measure was part of a broader set of foreign aid legislation that the House passed Saturday afternoon, totaling $95 billion for U.S. partners abroad.
In total, the package provides $26 billion to Israel, $60.8 billion to Ukraine and $8 billion to the Indo-Pacific through a combination of military and humanitarian aid.
President Joe Biden has said he will sign the law. He reiterated his concerns about TikTok in a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.
TikTok quickly complained after Saturday’s vote, saying in a statement that “it is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian aid to once again stymie a ban bill that would trample on the rights of freedom of expression for 170 million Americans. will devastate 7 million businesses and shut down a platform that contributes $24 billion to the US economy annually.
Under the bill, ByteDance would have to sell the app within a year or be banned from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States.
The House of Representatives passed a similar bill against TikTok last month, but the measure was delayed in the Senate.
“It seems like there’s something going on in the algorithm that’s trying to dirty the West,” said TikTok content creator Zach Fox.
TikTok content creator Zach Sage Fox is pictured with New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Steven Mnuchin, who served as US Treasury secretary under former President Donald Trump, said he is interested in acquiring TikTok and has assembled a group of investors.
TikTok has been in the crosshairs of US authorities for years, and authorities say the platform allows Beijing to spy on users in the United States.
But a law prohibiting it could lead to lawsuits. This bill gives the president of the United States the authority to designate other applications as a threat to national security if they are controlled by a country considered hostile.
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, formerly Twitter, spoke out on Friday against banning TikTok, saying it went against free speech.
“TikTok should not be banned in the United States, even though such a ban may benefit Platform X,” Musk said in a post on the social network that he acquired in 2022.
“Doing so would be contrary to freedom of expression,” Musk said.