Why the proposed TikTok ban is more about politics than privacy, according to experts

Bans on the social media app TikTok are beginning to gain momentum in Washington and several states. Experts say there's not much solid evidence that TikTok poses a national security threat.

Drew Angerer / Drew Angerer

TikTok has become a dominant force in pop culture in recent years, which has prompted growing concerns from government officials over its Chinese ownership.

At least 14 states have recently banned the application from being used on government devices; some state-run public universities followed suit, banning or blocking the app on their campuses.

Last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Republican Senator Marco Rubio, announced legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States. Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, claimed that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, Byte Dance, cannot be trusted with access to United States’ user data because of the potential national security risk.