Tech guru Kim Kommando runs one of my favorite newsletters, chock full of the kind of tech tips we all can use. She recently wrote about how far TikTok reaches into the lives of those who use it, which is most young folks today. (Not me!)  

At the core of the issue is that TikTok is part of a Chinese company, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that runs China with an iron fist, controls TikTok and has access to its data and control of its editorial content. This means they have the ability to propagandize and sway the minds and hearts of TikTok users just like our news outlets might do.   

How many TikTok users you may ask? According to Backlinko.com, according to company data, TikTok had 150 million users in the US as of February 2023 and American users spend an average of 95 minutes per day on TikTok.  

Congress is debating whether to allow TikTok to continue to operate as a Chinese entity or force it to be sold, presumably to Americans. If you are concerned about the potential for election interference, Kim’s article is worth checking out, here.