TikTok, the popular video app, is facing renewed calls for a ban in the United States over allegations that it is promoting anti-Israel and anti-Jewish content.
Influential politicians, including US Senators Josh Hawley and Marco Rubio, and House Representative Mike Gallagher, have emphasized the need to ban TikTok due to its alleged bias.
Senator Hawley, in a letter to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, stated, “While data security issues are paramount, less often discussed is TikTok’s power to radically distort the world picture that America’s young people encounter. Israel’s unfolding war with Hamas is a crucial test case.”
Hawley referred to a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll indicating that a significant percentage of Americans aged 18-24 believed Hamas’s attacks on Israel were justified, attributing this to the prevalence of anti-Israel content on TikTok.
Rubio had earlier described TikTok and other platforms as “cesspools of [pro-Hamas] misinformation and indoctrination” and a means of “brainwashing.”
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has faced previous scrutiny for allegedly promoting Beijing’s agenda.
Concerns over content suppression on sensitive issues and the app’s influence on shaping opinions have been ongoing.
Venture capitalist Jeff Morris Jr raised concerns about TikTok’s algorithm allegedly swaying young people away from the traditionally pro-Israel stance.
He noted the overwhelming views on hashtags like “#standwithpalestine” compared to “#standwithisrael.”
However, the platform has previously stated its stance against terrorism, removing content violating policies on violence, hate speech, misinformation, and terrorism.
TikTok claimed to have removed over 925,000 videos in the conflict region and millions globally.
Publicly viewable user data on TikTok indicate a greater affinity for the Palestinian cause, though pro-Israel content is also present.
The hashtags #standwithpalestine and #freepalestine garnered substantial views compared to #standwithisrael.
