Support for TikTok ban declining among US adults

U.S. adults' support for a ban declined from 50% in March to 38%
Declining support was recorded among both Republican and Democratic adults
Republican and Republican-leaning adults remain more likely to favor a ban

Updated: Dec 27, 2023 / 02:56 PM CST

(NewsNation) — Fewer American adults say they would support a national TikTok ban as more people report feeling unsure about the measure.

The share of U.S. adults who say they would support a ban declined from 50% in March to 38%, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Declining support was recorded among both Republican and Democratic adults, according to the report. Just 18% of teens would back a government ban.

Republican and Republican-leaning adults remain much more likely to favor a ban than Democrats, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Democratic and Democratic-leaning adults have found their opinions on the subject mixed. About 33% say they’re opposed to a ban. Another 29% are supportive of the idea and 38% aren’t sure.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in Texas upheld the state’s TikTok ban on official devices and networks, the Associated Press reported. It’s just one of several battles over the app, which some have criticized as providing the Chinese government with Americans’ data.

Others, including The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, argue such bans are violations of free speech and academic freedom.