"Half of US MZ Generation Oppose 'TikTok Ban'... A Headwind for Biden's Reelection"

In the United States, 1 in 2 young people oppose the 'TikTok Ban Bill' that would force ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to sell its business in the U.S. Analysts suggest this could be a setback for President Joe Biden, among former and current U.S. presidents aiming for a return to the White House.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 27th (local time), CNBC reported the results of a nationwide economic survey conducted over five days from the 15th to the 19th, polling 1,001 Americans. It revealed that “47% of Americans support banning TikTok services in the U.S. or requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok.” Among them, 20% said TikTok should be banned no matter what, and 27% said it should be banned unless sold to a non-Chinese owner.

However, among the younger generation, there was generally less support for banning TikTok in the U.S. While 31% of all respondents opposed the TikTok ban, the 18-34 age group showed a much higher opposition rate at 48%. This is four times higher than the 11% opposition rate among those aged 65 and older.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill on the 13th requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations within six months or face removal from U.S. app stores. This stems from concerns that citizens’ data could be transferred to the Chinese Communist Party in an emergency. The bill is currently pending in the Senate.

Support for the TikTok ban bill also varied by political affiliation. When asked whether they supported banning TikTok or forcing its sale, 40% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans agreed. Independents showed 34% support.

CNBC analyzed that “the TikTok ban issue could be more troublesome for President Biden than for former President Trump.” This is because Biden’s approval rating is lower among the main TikTok user age group of 18-34. According to the CNBC poll, Biden’s overall approval rating is 39%, but it drops to 33% among 18-34-year-olds.

Former President Trump issued an executive order to ban TikTok in 2020 but recently expressed opposition to the TikTok ban bill, saying, “If TikTok disappears, Facebook could benefit from the ripple effect.” In contrast, President Biden has stated he would sign the bill if it passes the Senate.

Regarding this, CNBC analyzed that “since the two candidates are engaged in a fierce competition in the November election, the TikTok issue, which could influence the election, may also play a role.”