What happened: Approximately 59% of Americans perceive TikTok as a national security concern, according to a recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center. By the numbers: According to the poll, only 17% of Americans believe TikTok is not a threat, and 23% are unsure. The perception varies based on political affiliation, age, and whether respondents are TikTok users. A majority of Republicans (70%) see TikTok as a national security threat, for example, compared to 53% of Democrats. Concerns about TikTok's data use practices are also prevalent, with 64% of Americans expressing at least some level of concern about how the company stores and shares data. Why it matters: The study comes after Montana banned TikTok. Additionally, South Carolina's Clemson University has joined other schools in prohibiting access to TikTok on its campus network. Concerns revolve around the potential for TikTok's parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, to share user data with the Chinese government and manipulate algorithms for pro-China propaganda.
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