As the TikTok ban bill makes its way through Congress, Houston and Central Texas businesses brace for impact, with many fearing the repercussions of the popular app's potential exit from the American market. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, pushed forward by the U.S. House and now under the scrutiny of the Senate, has its roots in national security concerns over data privacy risks associated with the app's Chinese parent company ByteDance, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The bill's progression has stirred a mix of anxiety and skepticism, lawmakers and White House officials allege ByteDance could share sensitive American data with the Chinese government, yet they haven't coughed up concrete evidence that such data sharing has occurred and meanwhile TikTok denies ever having shared user data with Chinese authorities, according to the Associated Press. Texas Governor Greg Abbott had already banned TikTok from state employees' government-issued devices back in December 2022, marking an early sign of the broader legislative discomfort towards the platform's presence in the U.S., as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
In Houston, the bill's potential effects loom large; for businesses and users alike, a ban could reshape the digital landscape. Geoffrey Roth, a communications professor at the University of Houston, hinted at the bill being driven by "hysteria," speculating that alternative platforms could fill the void left by TikTok, this perspective gives little comfort to businesses like Roni's Mac Bar in Waco, which saw explosive growth attributed to their TikTok presence, owner Frank Senese said in an interview that the app turned their "normal amount of traffic" to a line "going out the door for weeks," as highlighted by KWTX.
Despite potential disruptions, some Texan entrepreneurs like Johnny Huang, co-owner of The BitBar in Temple, are ready to pivot, saying they'll move to whichever new platform their audience adopts, whether it's TikTok or "even if it's myspace," according to KWTX. The bill, if enacted, would thrust ByteDance into a pivotal decision: sell the popular app to a U.S. company or face a ban, a move that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew warns could jeopardize over 300,000 American jobs.
As the Senate weighs in, the future of TikTok hangs in the balance, leaving businesses, content creators, and millions of users in suspense. The bill sharpens its focus on TikTok, setting a precedent that raises constitutional eyebrows according to some skeptics due to its single-target approach; this specificity has sparked debate, with some lawmakers questioning the potential infringement on First Amendment rights. Despite the bill's intent to curb national security threats, Nikolas Guggenberger, an assistant professor at the University of Houston Law Center, questioned its efficacy in stopping data flows to China, highlighting its aim to thwart direct influence, such as election interference, the Houston Chronicle reported.
With President Biden's asserted willingness to sign the bill into law, only time will tell whether TikTok will face a "slow death" in the U.S. marketplace or continue its pervasive influence in a new American guise. Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez of Baylor University projects that even if the algorithm at TikTok's heart isn't sold, a lookalike platform could soon resurface wielding that same addictive power, a sentiment captured by KWTX.
