The Chinese-owned social media application, TikTok, is facing a ban in the United States that’s being led by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (R). A bill written with the intent of prohibiting TikTok’s use in the USA was voted down in the Senate yesterday, with both sides of the aisle maintaining mixed feelings on the matter.
This issue at hand is privacy. Lawmakers are concerned about China’s ability to access the personal data of over 150 million users in the United States and weaponize it.
This comes at a time when tensions between the US and China are escalating. President Xi Jinping of China has recently aligned himself with Vladimir Putin of Russia amidst the ongoing Ukrainian invasion.
Is the pursuit of a TikTok ban merely a witch hunt targeting a known enemy, or is the issue all about privacy?
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Rand Paul rarely agree on any given topic, but in the case of TikTok, they are on the same page.
Paul’s vote in the US Senate was all that was needed to stifle Hawley’s bill intent on banning TikTok, citing free speech and the First Amendment as the rationale.
Hawley argues that free speech does not entail an avenue for espionage, and with TikTok’s connection to the Chinese Communist Party, there are fears that they could access tactical information by utilizing the app’s stored data.
Online entertainment sportsbooks have posted a betting line on if TikTok will be banned before the end of 2023.
Will TikTok Be Banned In The USA By December 31, 2023?
- Yes -130
- No -110
The current odds do favor an outcome where TikTok is prohibited in the United States prior to midnight on New Year’s Eve, but both conclusions feature negative moneylines at the moment.
“If you don’t like TikTok or Facebook or YouTube, don’t use them. But don’t think that any interpretation of the Constitution gives you the right to ban them.”
US Senator Rand Paul (Kentucky – R)
AOC posted her first-ever TikTok video last week in defense of the app,
@aocinthehouse Some thoughts on TikTok…
The betting sites that we feature in our list of online sportsbook reviews have also created odds on which influencer will possess the most TikTok followers by the end of the year.
TikTok Odds For Most Followed Account At The End Of 2023
- @khaby.lame -125
- @charlidamelio +100
- @cznburak +1400
- @bellapoarch +1600
- @zachking +1600
- @addisonre +2500
- @kimberly.loaiza +2500
- @therock +3300
- @willsmith +4500
- @dixiedamelio +5000
- @spencerx +5000
- @justmaiko +5000
- @jasonderulo +5000
- @domelipa +5000
- @bts_official_bighit +7500
- @riyaz.14 +7500
- @junya1gou +10000
@khabe.lame leads the current TikTok odds for most followers with a -125 moneyline. His TikTok videos have become famous over the past couple of years for his solutions to tiny issues that were blown out of proportion on other videos.
Charli Grace D’Amelio is a trained dancer who has developed a massive following on the app since 2019. She currently has 150+ million followers, and trails Khabe Lame by roughly 4 million.
All other social media personalities included in this entertainment prop bet feature odds north of +1000. That means payouts of over 10-to-1 can be earned by placing a bet on anyone other than Lame or D’Amelio, but only if they pull into the top spot by December 31st.
ABC News | BetOnline | AP News
