According to a recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos, the majority of Americans view China’s TikTok app as a tool used by the Chinese government to influence and shape public opinion in the United States. About 58 percent of respondents believe that TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is being used to influence American public opinion, while only 13 percent disagreed with this view. Additionally, 46 percent of Americans think that China uses TikTok to spy on everyday Americans.
The survey also revealed that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to see China’s influence through TikTok in the US. Half of Americans support banning TikTok, while 32 percent are against a ban. Furthermore, 60 percent of respondents believe it is inappropriate for US political candidates to use the Chinese app for their campaigns.
It is important to note that this survey only included adult respondents, so the opinions of US kids and teens under 18 who are active TikTok users were not captured. Among the respondents, individuals aged 40 and older were more supportive of a TikTok ban compared to those aged 18 to 39.
The survey gathered responses from 1,022 US adults with a margin of error of about 3 percentage points. Former TikTok employees have raised concerns about the protection of US user data on the platform, leading to legislation that may require ByteDance to sell TikTok within nine months or face a ban in the US. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded by stating that the company plans to use US laws against the country in legal battles over the sell-or-ban legislation. ByteDance has expressed a preference for shutting down TikTok in the US if their legal challenge fails in court.
