AOC Joins TikTok; Pushes for Stricter Data, Privacy Laws Instead of Ban

In her debut video for the TikTok app on Saturday, Mar. 25, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (known by her initials AOC) argued that the platform should not be banned.

As she introduced her first TikTok, the New York Democrat said, "This is not only my first TikTok, but it is a TikTok about TikTok. Do I believe TikTok should be banned? No."

Believing that the matter is worth bringing up, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez talked about how unusual this action would be. She said the US had never previously outright forbidden a social media firm from existing or functioning inside its boundaries.

Apparently, the number of people using this app in the US alone is around 150 million.

Weak Legislation Protecting Data Privacy

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's video, as featured by Insider, has been seen over 3 million times and liked over 500,000 times. It was uploaded only two days after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before Congress.

The session swiftly degenerated into a slugfest of "yes" or "no" questions, with some lawmakers seeming uninterested in hearing thorough explanations from the executive.

The Trump administration's effort to compel a sale of the Chinese-owned app TikTok in 2020 marked the beginning of the discussion about the app's possible danger to national security.

Concerns about data privacy, the dissemination of disinformation, and the safety of children have also contributed to debates about a possible US-wide ban of the TikTok app.

They argue that the software should be restricted due to the excessive quantity of personal information it collects. But, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez asserted, it does not actually address the root of the problem.

However, the New York Democrat pointed out that large social media firms like Meta also gather "troves of deeply personal data." She made the point that the US lacks "significant data or privacy protection laws. She then brought up the General Data Protection Regulation, which is the European Union's statute protecting personal information.

@aocinthehouseSome thoughts on TikTok... ♬ original sound - aocinthehouse

'Not the Solution'

According to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, "The solution here is not to ban an individual company - but to actually protect Americans from this kind of egregious data harvesting that companies can do without your significant ability to say no."

She noted that a confidential briefing for Congress is typically initiated when a problem poses a serious threat to national security. Still, as for TikTok's case, it had not occurred, she said.

"So why would we be proposing a ban regarding such a significant issue without being clued in on this at all? It just doesn't feel right to me."

After weighing the pros and drawbacks, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez concluded, "I think a lot of this is putting the cart before the horse because our first priority should be in protecting your ability to exist without social media companies harvesting and commodifying every single piece of data about you, without you, and without your consent."