According to one recent survey of the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans (59%) say the TikTok is a threat for the national better safety of the United States.
The findings from the Pew Research Center survey of US adults come as TikTok, the popular application owned by Chinese internet conglomerate ByteDance, continues to be targeted by US lawmakers wary of its ties to China and the way it handles user data.
Just 17% of Americans say the platform does not pose a threat to national security, while 23% say they are unsure, according to the Pew survey.
Opinions about the national security threat posed by TikTok vary by political affiliation and age.
About 70 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say TikTok is either a slight or a major threat to U.S. national security, compared to 53 percent of Democrats. The perception of TikTok as a threat also varies by age: Just 13% of adult 18-29 year olds say TikTok is a big threat, a percentage that rises to 24% among those 30-49, 35% among 50-64, and 46% among Americans 65 and older.
Not surprisingly, adults who don't use TikTok are more likely to see it as a national security risk. Among non-users, 65% say the app is a security threat, including 36% who consider it a significant threat.
Among TikTok users, just 9% see it as a major threat and about a third say it is a minor threat. The Pew survey was conducted May 15-21, 2023.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted in March found that 50% of Americans support the US government banning TikTok, while 22% were opposed and 28% were unsure.
