Half of Americans support a US government ban on TikTok, while 22% oppose the idea and more than a quarter are unsure, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Friday.
The survey results — collected in the days before and after TikTok CEO Shou Chew testified before Congress on March 23 — highlight the company’s challenges in persuading the public TikTok does not pose a national security risk.
But it also underscores that significant portions of the country, 28% of Americans, remain uncertain about a ban on TikTok, suggesting they do not have firm views on the matter.
Opposition to banning TikTok is significantly higher among younger Americans (46% of respondents aged 18-29) than among older ones (15% of those aged 50-64 and just 4% of those 65 or older oppose it) and among those that use TikTok (56% opposed) versus those who do not (11% opposed).
Some 19% of TikTok users did express support for a US government ban, however.
Those who know of TikTok’s connections to China are more than twice as likely to support a US government ban than those who are not aware of the link (60% vs. 27%), according to the survey.
The survey found, however, that most Americans — nearly two-thirds (64%) — are aware of TikTok’s China connection.
There is a partisan gap as well, with 60% of Republicans or those who lean Republican in favor of banning TikTok, Pew found, compared to 43% of Democrats or those who lean Democratic.
The findings are largely consistent with a Washington Post poll conducted in mid-March, and a CBS News-YouGov poll done in the days leading up to Chew’s testimony.
