TikTok’s potential relationship with the Chinese Communist Party via its parent company, ByteDance, has been a cause of concern for many lawmakers who are worried that the popular social media application has been gathering U.S. user data to send back to the country.
Because of this, numerous politicians have called for a TikTok ban in the United States. On Wednesday, the bill, “known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, passed via a bipartisan vote, 352-65. It would prohibit TikTok from being in app stores in the U.S. unless ByteDance sold its interest in the company,” wrote David Covucci for the Daily Dot.
TikToker Robbie Scott (@robbiesmoonmusic) argued that his biggest issue with Congress potentially banning the app isn’t that folks aren’t going to be able to mind-numbingly scroll as a means of quelling anxiety, but that “average people” are going to lose money.
“Average people like me and you have found a way to make some extra income from this app,” Scott says. “I do not know how the f*ck I would’ve been able to save up $20,000 for a down payment on a home in the past four months if it wasn’t for this app.”
He says that thanks to TikTok, he might “actually be able to afford a house in the near future,” which is a dream that may never come to fruition for many Americans.
Scott says that the ban is just another example of how “out of touch” and “geriatric” many of the politicians in power are. He adds that it’s very clear politicians aren’t banning TikTok because they care about the data security of their constituents—if they did, they would’ve dropped the hammer on other social media applications, like Facebook and Instagram. He says that the real reason lawmakers wish to ban is because TikTok isn’t “owned by an American company” so the U.S. government is losing money as a result.
Scott also expresses concerns about TikTok becoming state-controlled media, citing that many users in the United States have come together on important social issues, like banning Kellogg’s products after its CEO suggested folks eat bowls of cereal for dinner.
@robbiesmoonmusic and the war against the lower 99% continues!!! 💕 #congress #tiktokban #genz #capitalism ♬ original sound – robbie scott
The TikToker added a message to politicians who are supportive of the ban that they should “turn up” their hearing aids and strongly consider all of the folks they could potentially be putting in economic hardship should the application be shut down.
He says that “no one” is using TikTok anymore to “do the dab” and engage in dance routines, but folks are utilizing the app as a means of keeping each other “informed” and for making money by uploading content and promoting their own personal brands.
Scott caps off his video by stating that politicians “hate” the fact Americans are able to openly communicate with one another without their “propaganda” telling them what to think, feel, and support.
“I see you, Congress. I see you and I don’t like it,” he says at the very end of the video.
Another user on the application, Joe Larson, also had some thoughts about the TikTok ban in a clip of his own: “The Senate has spoken out after this overwhelming…vote from the house which was forced I think but yeah they’re uh, starting to kinda think twice about this whole deal, TikTok.”
Larson, like Scott, highlighted the financial implications for the country that are wrapped up in the TikTok ban.
“So they just crunched the numbers and they just found out that 170 million Americans use TikTok services,” he says. “On top of that, 7 million small business owners.”
He claims that these businesses are providing money and taxes to the economy, which may have caused the lawmakers to think twice about banning TikTok.
“Think about it: is our economy that great right now? Uh, no!” he says. “OK, so do they need all the…tax money they can get? Abso-f*cking-lutely OK?”
@larsonjoe Uh oh the U.S. Senate is starting to think twice. Now that the numbers are in it just might not be too good for the economy. #fyp #fypシ #viral #keeptiktok #savetiktok #breakingnews #economy ♬ original sound – Joe Larson
Larson says because of this, the politicians will now “drag their feet,” and perhaps come to a “different conclusion.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Larson via TikTok comment and Scott via email.
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