Hello! Today's topic is straight to the point with this recent news: The state of Montana passed the bill to ban the app. In the last year, government officials have debated whether or not to ban the app in America. They realized that it poses a threat to data privacy. Lawmakers and regulators in the West have increasingly expressed concern that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, may put sensitive user data, like location information, into the hands of the Chinese government. Well, it's certainly no secret that some of these apps are tracking your information and using it for in app conveniences like recommended sections, for you pages, etc. They keep tabs on your interests and use it to keep you on it.
Now, some of these apps might be taking data like your location, phone number, email addresses, or other information without your knowledge. That's why some countries are talking about banning the app. There are also ideas that the Chinese government could use this app to their advantage by gaining intelligence and information on American affairs. TikTok has long denied such allegations and has tried to distance itself from ByteDance.
India banned the platform in mid-2020, costing ByteDance one of its biggest markets, as the government cracked down on 59 Chinese-owned apps, claiming that they were secretly transmitting users’ data to servers outside India. So now that there is proof of this happening, America is barely getting the idea to ban the app.
But the question is, can they really enforce the law? Well, it's not really completely terminated. People will have to pay a fine of $10,000 (USD) if they have the app. The bill prohibits mobile app stores from allowing Montana residents to download TikTok effectively January 1, 2024—though it does not specify how the state would enforce or monitor aspects of the ban.
TikTok has been the target of cyberattacks in the past, with hackers accessing sensitive user information such as passwords and phone numbers. TikTok has also been criticized for its moderation practices, with some users reporting that the app allows the spreading of hate speech, misinformation, and extremist content.
Now this might make you wonder if it's a good or bad idea to ban the platform. As far as I think, it's a good idea. There is a pretty high chance that TikTok is tracking and selling information like those other apps were, but that's not the only reason that I think that this is a good idea. I have written about a reason in which TikTok is harmful, which is because of their completely idiotic challenges that are harmful and dangerous. There are more reasons thought like how China could use it to spread propaganda, how it's proven to decrease attention span in its viewers when used for more than 90 minutes a day. "While using an app that harms your brain is not a good idea for anyone, the issue is particularly pertinent to TikTok due to its demographics. According to TikTok statistics published by Wallaroo Media, more than 60 percent of users are "Gen Zers," which makes them somewhere between ages 11 and 26 — and the human brain is not fully developed until age 25."
A large percentage of users are Gen Zers and Millennials, so imagine all the underdeveloped brains (not trying to be mean, but it's true) on the app for long periods of time diminishing their attention span, as well as their mental health.
It is not new news that social media is awful and ridden with filters and toxicity, but now we have reached a point where everybody has these apps, and you aren't 'a real person' if you don't have any of these apps. I myself don't have social media, which isn't a huge deal, but I have been spared a couple of things that people today go through because of these apps. You'll find ample cases of the usual social media scourges—harassment, abuse, and cyberbullying.
There is also sexual/provocative content perfectly displayed for young eyes to see, a never-ending stream of anti-Semitism, racism, and xenophobia. There have even been cases of ISIS using the platform to promote its extremist propaganda.
Here is one of the last things I will discuss on this app; the privacy policy. You know that thing that all apps ask for you to accept and read even though it is like 10 paragraphs long? In its privacy policy, TikTok says that it collects the "information you provide in the context of composing, sending, or receiving messages." TikTok can actively watch what you write in messages to friends, even if you never hit the send button.
It also requests access to your phone's model, screen resolution, current OS, phone number, email address, location, keystroke patterns, and even contact lists. None of that seems important if you just want to watch 15-second clips.
It is on purpose, because who doesn't know that nobody reads the privacy policy or terms and conditions? In short, I think it's a good idea to drop TikTok. Let's hope it's done before it's too late.
As always thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and that you'll think twice about downloading or keeping this app on your phone.
Thank you for reading everyone and have a good day🏙️/night🌃!
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