TikTok, a platform that I am sure many college students use and love, is quickly coming to an end. The app has become a hot topic over concerns of national security and data privacy. While these issues deserve attention, banning TikTok is not the solution. Instead, this controversy highlights the urgent need for stronger, universal data privacy laws that protect users across all platforms.
I remember when TikTok was Musical.ly, and I would lip-sync with my friends whenever we hung out. I never got into it until the pandemic happened and TikTok blew up.
I hate to admit it, but it is my most used app. I love watching some of my favorite creators show their day in a life, how to cook or bake and tips and tricks I otherwise would’ve never known.
I am an avid TikTok lover and am not only sad about it being banned but also irritated. In a world where data is power, such concerns are not uncommon.
It seems that we are glossing over two critical points: the lack of concrete evidence that TikTok has shared data with the Chinese government and that many apps, including those owned by American-based companies, engage in questionable data practices.
TikTok is not unique in collecting data. Facebook, Instagram and Google harvest vast amounts of personal information. All our apps do it, even if we do not recognize it. For example, when you download a new app, there is always a banner that asks if you agree to their privacy policy. Have you ever actually read through any of those? I know I haven’t.
If we’re concerned about data privacy, why single out TikTok? This selectiveness suggests that the ban is less about protecting citizens and more about political tensions. This has been an ongoing conversation for the last five years, and I am fed up with it.
Instead of banning one app, lawmakers should focus on enacting privacy regulations throughout all apps. Such policies would ensure that all platforms, regardless of origin, adhere to the same standards.
TikTok is not just an app: it’s a platform that has skyrocketed content creation and given rise to a new wave of influencers, artists and entrepreneurs. Small businesses use TikTok to reach audiences they might never access through traditional advertising or marketing.
I have seen small companies’ sales soar just from TikTok alone. For students and young professionals, it’s a space for creativity and community-building.
I follow a lot of photography professionals and people I look up to in a professional setting, and I would have never been able to gain knowledge in my desired field without TikTok. A ban would halt these opportunities and impact quite a margin of people.
Rather than banning TikTok, we should educate users about how their data is collected and used. The TikTok ban debate is a distraction from the real issues at hand.
I am sure many of us can agree that there are much bigger problems right now to focus on, even if it is cracking down on all the apps to see how they collect and store our data. However, it is easier to target a single app than to confront the larger, more complex challenges of data privacy.
Instead of banning TikTok, we should use this moment to protect users across all platforms and stay informed about our data privacy.