TikTok ban impact on Dems? #short

As the Democrats grow increasingly hostile toward TikTok over its ties to China, they are appearing to align themselves with more hawkish Republicans who have long called for curbs on the platform. TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance based in Beijing, has been warned by top U.S. officials that it could be used to pass on U.S. users’ private data to the Chinese government and even influence Americans to benefit China. It’s important to note the country’s national security law, which requires Chinese companies and those operating within China to share data with its government if requested. Avril Haines, Biden’s top intelligence adviser, has even described China as America’s “most serious and consequential intelligence rival.” However, any possible ban on TikTok could have political implications for the White House and Democrats at large. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. has given TikTok’s Chinese owners an ultimatum- either sell their stake in the company, or risk a nationwide ban in the U.S. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, TikTok’s spokesperson, Brooke Oberwetter denied that a sale would meaningfully address security concerns, stating that “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem.” A new Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday found that 50% of Americans support a ban on foreign technology, including TikTok. However, closer inspection of the poll’s findings revealed that support for a ban seems to be split along party lines, with only 39% of Democrats agreeing with the action, 50% of independents supporting it, and 64% of Republicans standing behind the ban. Some Democrats have expressed concern that action targeting TikTok could hurt the party’s standing with younger voters, such as Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders, who both have a large following on the platform.#Ban #TikTok #Hurt #Democrats