Facebook scams, Twitter’s censorship, Instagram identity theft – every social media platform has problems, but Congress chooses to drag out a national hearing and hyper focus on TikTok. 

Over 150 million Americans, specifically teens, have found a platform where they feel most comfortable — TikTok. As a space where people can express themselves, many teens have gravitated towards TikTok as their main social media app, even using it as a news source of important issues such as gun violence and environmental petitions. 

However, Congress members do not see this side of TikTok. Throughout the five-hour trial of Congress grilling TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Congress talked about content young users are exposed to. With over 150 million Americans using the platform, it is hard for TikTok to take down every questionable video that is posted. Chew and TikTok workers cannot be expected to closely monitor all content. Congress is trying to make TikTok into an evil superpower, especially when it’s the same as other social media. Plus, there are many more pressing issues.

In the hearing, congressmen addressed the issues of children’s death in relation to social media and mental health. One of the congressmen was trying to get Chew to admit how many children have died because of TikTok. But it is convenient how Congress suddenly cares about the children in this context—when it politically benefits the government. But when it comes to mass shootings in school, no hearings or new legislation is needed.

All Congress sees in TikTok is a Chinese spy weapon due to its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance. Congress claims they are collecting important personal data like location tracking and wants to ban TikTok because of its origin. The worry of spyware is not invalid for China’s reputation with the U.S. 

Although Congress’ concerns are valid, they should be directed evenly at all social media, and not just TikTok and its Asian leaders. Their lack of respect for Chew does not reflect well on the leadership of America. Congress attacked Chew and humiliated him, never giving him a chance to defend himself. Meanwhile, Chew kept his patience with Congress members and made an effort to effectively answer their questions, but no matter how he answered, it never seemed good enough.

This is not the first time that data privacy has been discussed in the U.S. In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg stood before the Senate to testify about Facebook’s data policy and how it is used.  But unlike Zuckerberg’s trial, Congress was unprofessional and mocked Chew. 

The focus on TikTok ignores the hundreds of apps and websites that do the same but are American owned. Platforms that ask users to “accept all cookies” don’t tell users what that means, and many young people do not know before just aimlessly accepting. 

Or how about the apps that ask to use locations? One may click “do not accept,” but the app continuously hounds users and tells them they must turn on their location to get the best use out of the app. Couldn’t those be possible traps too? Yes, they very much are, but no one is looking at those. 

Florida colleges are already feeling the effects of this. On April 6, Florida state universities put a TikTok ban on campuses so school WiFi and school-owned devices cannot access the app. This isn’t about data privacy, it’s about satisfying their base. For Gov. Ron DeSantis, college campuses are too liberal and this is just a  convenient addition to his political agenda.

There are more important things in the world the U.S. should be worrying about instead of a social media platform. School shootings and gun safety should be higher on the priorities list than TikTok. The whole hearing was a waste of time for everyone involved. Congress is not truly afraid of TikTok. They are simply using it as a scapegoat to score political points.