Should The U.S. Ban TikTok?
Topics: Culture, Politics, Tech
Public Release Date: February 17, 2023
This debate was recorded live on Friday, February 17th as an exclusive virtual debate for subscribers.
With one billion active users across more than 150 countries, TikTok is by many measures one of the world’s most successful video apps — and half of Americans use it. The House of Representatives has passed a bill that could ban the social media company in the U.S. if its parent company, Bytedance, does not divest from it and requires TikTok to be bought by a country that is not a U.S. adversary.
Those supporting such a move often point to a ban on another Chinese tech giant, Huawei, as an effective means of limiting China’s influence and bring up concerns the app could be used to leak Americans’ data to China for surveillance, making it a security risk. Those who argue against it say a ban would undermine what has become an important tool in the video marketplace, and that such efforts are not only politically motivated but are also easily bypassed.
In that context, we debate the question: Should the U.S. Ban TikTok?
ARGUING YES:
Kori Schake: Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
ARGUING NO:
Milton Mueller: Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy and Founder and Director, Internet Governance Project
MODERATOR-IN-CHIEF:
John Donvan: Emmy award-winning journalist