The end of the road for TikTok could be here, at least in the United States.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday requiring ByteDance, the Beijing-headquartered parent company of TikTok, to sell the popular social media platform or face a ban over national security concerns. The vote was decisive with 352 in favor and 65 against, with the bill receiving support across party lines.
While politicians and ordinary citizens alike are arguing why TikTok should get the chop, users on X (formerly known as Twitter) are making a strong case about why it should stay, highlighting the most hilarious and unhinged moments to come from the app. Check out some of the best TikToks below courtesy of @destroynectar's simple prompt: "What video is the reason they shouldn’t ban TikTok?"
While TikTok can be a place for everyday humor, it’s also a widely used platform for political commentary, perhaps at the detriment of American politicians. Many viral TikTok videos highlight the shortcomings of late stage capitalism (like the factory one below). Fans of the app have theorized that the real reason the US government wants to ban it is because of its political content—not for reasons of data privacy considering that many other social media platforms have questionable data practices.
TikTok’s fate now lies in the hands of the Senate. If they approve of the ban, the U.S. will join other countries such as Nepal, India, and Kyrgyzstan in effectively banning the app, per NBC News.