INDIANAPOLIS — Dennis McCray, known as "bigdenden_from_naptown" on TikTok, is one of the millions of people on the social media app who have used it to change their lives.
"I got to do a lot of good things from TikTok. I truly appreciate TikTok, and I know I'm not the only one," McCray said.
He has more than 18,000 followers on his page. He uses the app to share his reviews on restaurants and other items.
"It's been some places that weren't getting a lot of customers for their food. I came and ate, and people started coming," McCray said.
But some lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, are worried the app is not just being used to share users' favorite restaurants. They're worried it's link to China makes it a threat. One of the supporters of the bill, Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana, sent a statement to 13News explaining his vote:
“Through my work on the new House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), I’ve learned a great deal about the serious national security threats against us by the government of China. We’ve worked in a bipartisan manner to find solutions to these threats. I’m a cosponsor of a bill to address the unique problems of the Chinese government owning and operating a social media platform used by countless Americans. Unlike privately owned companies, a communist government-owned platform is filled with national security risks, allowing foreign adversaries to clandestinely surveil and unduly influence American users through the collection of user data and monitoring and manipulating the content Americans share and consume.
To demonstrate the influence that the CCP wants to exert on American politics, Tik Tok has blasted millions of messages to users falsely claiming this bill bans the platform. It does not. The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” incentivizes the divestment or relinquishment of control of Tik Tok from the Chinese government to an American entity for American users. It’s important to recognize that the CCP restricts, surveils, censors, and manipulates its citizens’ social media. The CCP is currently capable of doing the same to Americans, as we’ve seen this week. That’s why I support this bipartisan bill, which will allow Americans to use TikTok, but without it being under the control of a foreign adversary threatening our national security, or misusing users’ data and manipulating their content.”
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TikTok has repeatedly denied these allegations.
The bill itself would not ban the platform. If it is signed into law, it would give TikTok's owner, the China-based company ByteDance, 180 days to sell the platform. If they refuse, TikTok would be illegal to download on U.S. app stores. Even though it's not a done deal, some TikTokers are paying close attention.
"On one hand, you can say we just pray they keep it. On the other hand, you can say you should probably get on TikTok and let your followers know where else they can follow you, just in case they do that. Because if they lose TikTok, some of these people may never see you again," McCray said.
While McCray is concerned about national security, he doesn't think the app should be banned and has no plans to get rid of it.
"I'mma ride with it until the wheels fall off," McCray said.