Jonah's Jabs: TikTok restrictions?

By Jonah Unger
Staff Writer

TikTok is a popular app that has been around since 2016, and it has evolved a lot since then.

The app allows viewers to watch short clips ranging from cat videos to videos showing people how to install a kitchen sink. There is a wide variety of different things for viewers to see. 

As of April 2, 2023, TikTok has over 150 million, users according to NBC News. 

Like most people my age (18), I enjoy TikTok. That being said, the app has been under fire over the past month by Congress. Anyone who uses TikTok has probably heard of the controversy, but a lot of people are ill-informed of the subject matter. 

According to Congress.gov, on March 7, 2023, a bill was introduced to Congress regarding the use of TikTok. The bill would enact something called “The Restrict Act.” In other words, this would give authority to the Secretary of Commerce to review and prevent certain transactions between the United States and “Foreign Countries” most likely China.

I have spent a couple of hours reading up on this act, and I have come to the conclusion that if this act were to be passed, then the Government would have full control of what the viewers watch, as well as permission to track what the viewers are doing on the app. 

The U.S Government is essentially scared of the wrong information going into the wrong hands. This situation is similar to when Mark Zuckerberg (owner of Facebook) was under fire for tracking and selling users’ information. 

Congress has given us the information on the law, but not any clear reason that made them introduce the law in the first place. During these uncertain times, I can somewhat understand why this is happening. However, if this bill gets passed then it will not be much different than the control China has over its people. 

I do not agree with the Restrict Act. However this all could just be a way to distract people of America from the Willow Project happening in Alaska. I believe as Americans, and as people, it is our duty to sharpen our minds and to stay informed so that we can make decisions based on knowledge, and not politics.