Tik Tok should be banned because it destroys focus, promotes social media addiction, and the algorithm rewards suggestive sexual content — especially from young girls.

But even worse, it has ties to the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, which poses a threat to U.S. sovereignty. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would force the social media’s parent company, Byte Dance, to sell TikTok.

“Lawmakers have long tried to regulate the platform because of its ties to China,” CBS reporter Caitlin Yilek wrote. “They argue it threatens national security because the Chinese government could use TikTok to spy on Americans or weaponize it to covertly influence the U.S. public by amplifying or suppressing certain content.”

As a result, 170 million Americans’ personal information is at risk because of Byte Dance’s associations with China and the CCP, according to Axios reporter Sareen Hashbenian. 

“The FBI has for years said that TikTok could pose national security risks, warning that the Chinese government, through its alleged relationship with ByteDance, may be able ‘to control’ software on millions of devices in the U.S. or could conduct influence operations through the app,” Hashbenian wrote. 

TikTok isn’t the only social media platform that threatens U.S. sovereignty and national security. Other companies — such as Zoom — also have ties to the Chinese government. 

Back in 2019, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan capitulated to Chinese demands for censorship after the government blocked the platform, saying that the network hadn’t done enough to suppress dissidents and critics, according to CyberScoop reporter Elias Groll. 

Who’s to say TikTok won’t do the same? 

Even those who voted against the bill did so on the grounds that the bill wasn’t thorough enough. Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz said that the U.S. should consistently apply the same regulations to other social media and networking platforms.  

“Banning TikTok is the right idea,” Gaetz posted on X. “But this legislation was overly broad, rushed, and unavailable for amendment or revision.”

 The legislation needs to be comprehensive — addressing both censorship and foreign influence on all social media platforms, not just TikTok. Any large social media or networking platforms with ties to foreign governments and foreign investors should be banned.

 In a digital age, it just seems like common sense.