Democratic Representative Jeff Jackson, who enjoys a significant following of 2.3 million on TikTok, recently apologized via the platform for his vote support that had potential to impose a ban. Jackson, currently campaigning for North Carolina’s Attorney General position, stated that he never intended to jeopardize the platform that plays a crucial role in connecting and informing his constituents.
Jackson believed that a complete ban was unlikely for a host of reasons including the app’s popularity, freedom of expression concerns, and potential user backlash. However, he confessed to possibly overlooking certain aspects or misjudging the potential risks associated with the platform. Expressing regret, he empathized with his supporters’ feeling of betrayal and thanked them for their constant encouragement.
Jackson mentioned the “truly alarming” briefings in Congress about the app, explaining that the House Bill, which hold a significant majority backing, was more about facilitating TikTok’s American acquisition than banning it outright. This Bill, pushed mainly by Rep. Mike Gallagher and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, stipulates that TikTok must cease operations in the U.S. unless its parent company, Bytedance, divests within 165 days of the Bill’s approval.
The main thrust behind the sweeping support for the Bill, according to Jackson, was the potential misuse of TikTok’s algorithms and the suspicion regarding the app’s popularity among American youth. The underlying perception is that it could be manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party. Even though TikTok has denied all these national security risk allegations, the Bill, being debated widely, hasn’t had a conclusive Senate review date assigned yet.
