TikTok star with 1.1 million followers reveals why US must pass ban on China-owned app and claims he is ‘terrified of what I am seeing’

A TikTok star with 1.1 million followers has said he supports the US banning the popular app after raising concerns about the way the algorithm is now presenting him with increasingly disturbing content.

The House of Representatives passed a law on Saturday banning this TikTok in the United States if the Chinese owner of the popular social media platform does not sell its stake within a year.

Comedian Zach Sage Fox has said he sees the benefits of a ban after raising concerns about the platform’s impact, especially when it comes to sensitive issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“I’m terrified of what I see on TikTok,” Fox said New York Post.

“As far as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is concerned, TikTok has been nothing but a gold mine for all the biggest sources of disinformation in recent months,” he said.

“As far as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is concerned, TikTok has been nothing but a goldmine for all the biggest sources of disinformation in recent months,” Fox said.

The House of Representatives passed a bill to ban TikTok over concerns about hate speech and misinformation, with even some TikTok content creators voicing their support

“It seems like something is happening in the algorithm that is very much trying to pollute the West.”

Fox’s concerns are echoed by people in US political circles who have expressed alarm over TikTok’s popularity among young people, claiming it allows Beijing to spy on users.

There are 170 million in the United States alone, with 76 percent of Generation Z admitting to using the app.

Critics also say TikTok is subordinate to Beijing and is a channel to spread propaganda. China and the company deny such claims.

“I think that, if the glass is half full, millions of young people will be cut off from information being funneled out of China and will turn to sources that, while not perfect, at least have some oversight on a factual level,” he said. Fox.

The bill that could lead to a total TikTok ban in the US passed by a vote of 360 to 58, with broad bipartisan support.

It could now trigger the rare move to ban a company from operating in the US market and goes to the Senate for a vote next week.

The bill that could lead to a total TikTok ban in the US passed by a vote of 360 to 58, with broad bipartisan support. Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to members of the press after the House of Representatives passes bills

The TikTok measure was part of a broader set of foreign aid legislation that the House passed Saturday afternoon, totaling $95 billion for U.S. partners abroad.

The package provides a total of $26 billion to Israel, $60.8 billion to Ukraine and $8 billion to the Indo-Pacific, through a combination of military and humanitarian assistance.

President Joe Biden has said he will sign the legislation. He reiterated his concerns about TikTok in a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.

TikTok quickly complained after Saturday’s vote, saying in a statement: “It’s unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian aid to push through yet another ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans . destroying seven million businesses and shutting down a platform that contributes $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy.”

Under the bill, ByteDance would have to sell the app within a year or it would be banned from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States.

The House of Representatives passed a similar bill last month to address TikTok, but the measure was held up in the Senate.

“It seems like there’s something happening in the algorithm that’s really trying to pollute the West,” said TikTok content creator Zach Fox.

TikTok content creator Zach Sage Fox is pictured with New York Mayor Eric Adams

Steven Mnuchin, who served as US Treasury Secretary under former President Donald Trump, has said he is interested in acquiring TikTok and has gathered a group of investors.

TikTok has been in the crosshairs of US authorities for years, with authorities saying the platform allows Beijing to spy on users in the United States.

But a law that prohibits it could lead to lawsuits. This bill gives the US president the authority to designate other applications as a threat to national security if they are controlled by a country considered hostile.

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, formerly Twitter, came out against banning TikTok on Friday, saying it violated freedom of expression.

“TikTok should not be banned in the US, even though such a ban could benefit the X platform,” Musk said in a post on the social network he acquired in 2022.

“This would violate freedom of speech and expression,” Musk said.