WASHINGTON D.C. - April 8th, 2024 - Recently, the House passed H.R. 7521, a piece of legislation that leaves TikTok’s future in the United States uncertain. The College Democrats of America are calling on the Senate to overwhelmingly reject this House resolution. Instead, we strongly encourage policymakers to enact broader social media regulation across all platforms—American and non-American—to ensure the safety of each user while upholding First Amendment rights.

While H.R. 7521 does not directly “ban” TikTok, as the media has portrayed, it presents its owner with two options: divest TikTok to an American company or cease operations entirely in America. We simply believe that this is not the solution to the underlying problem. We believe this can be an opportunity for Congress to regulate the social media industry (i.e., Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat—and yes, even TikTok, to name a few). For years, social media companies have escaped regulation and have done what is in their best economic interests, often misusing user data or disregarding user mental health. We believe now is the time to change that.

It is also clear that House and Senate Republicans are attempting to censor the youth voice with this legislation. According to a 2023 study, roughly one-third of Americans seek their news from TikTok. And for college students, TikTok is often the place we get our news from youth creators across the world. With the 2024 election only a few months away, we would be disappointed in Congress’ petty attempt at censoring our voices.

College Democrats of America is the official student arm of the Democratic National Committee.

We strive to advocate for Democratic values on college campuses across

the country. We provide the necessary tools to both give college students a voice in the

political process and to amplify the voice of the next generation of progressive

activists. We are passionate college students dedicated to electing Democrats up and

down the ballot through positive messaging, campaigning, and activism.