TikTok is addictive, and could be a national security threat, but should the government ban it? Or might doing so set dangerous precedent to ban other social media platforms with less rationale? A TikTok ban could lead to a domino effect of other bans.

A new bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives that would effectively ban TikTok, unless the platform is sold, but the terms and conditions of the bills are vague and could be easily leveraged to justify further bans. Maxwell Zeff explains,

Outside of banning TikTok, this bill is anything but clear. An app or website must meet two qualifications to be banned. First, the app must be a large platform that allows users to create profiles for sharing content. That would include Gizmodo’s website, where users log in to post comments, for example. Second, you must also be “controlled by a foreign adversary,” which could include an app that is merely “subject to the direction or control” of someone in Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran.

-Maxwell Zeff, The TikTok Bill Could Get a Lot of Apps Banned (gizmodo.com)

Zeff wonders if the term “national security threat” could mean different things to different leaders. And supposing foreign adversaries are using these platforms? Does that mean they are under foreign control?

The bill gives the President a lot of authority, and the leniency of interpretation could mean that other platforms might soon be on the chopping block. This might be the way censorship sneakily invades.

It might make more sense to have conversations about age limits with TikTok. Like nicotine, should it be reserved for those above the age of 18? In any case, parents, communities, schools, and churches can do their part to engage with their kids in order to mitigate TikTok’s harmful effects.