College students weigh in on the potential ban of TikTok

More than 150-million American's use TikTok every month. However, lawmakers are concerned it poses a threat to national security. 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — More than 150-million American’s use TikTok every month. 

However, lawmakers are concerned it poses a threat to national security. 

On Wednesday, a few college students said they understood the threat it could pose but suggest instead of entirely banning the app, officials should consider monitoring TikTok’s material and instilling restrictions within the app to better protect ones privacy.  

Jake Sullivan, a Cape Fear Community College freshman, said “I think they could censor it, like, they could have age things for TikTok, like how YouTube does. How they have YouTube Kids where you can’t exit out of the screen or like Netflix where they have child stuff. Because there are some things that I see on there that kids shouldn’t be watching.”

Dylan Conner, a Cape Fear Community College freshman, said, “Every time I go on it, it forces things down on my for-you page and I don’t like that. For that reason I think it’s weird that little kids are on it for a bunch of hours and getting all their information traced.”  

A few other local college students weren’t entirely opposed to the idea of a TikTok ban and said that there are other alternatives to the popular app. 

Ben Champion, a University of North Carolina at Wilmington senior, said, “I do not have TikTok, I got rid of TikTok like a year-and-a-half ago just because I was on it too much. So, it had to go.” 

Joy Shaver, a University of North Carolina at Wilmington senior, said “I think I would get by, um — just because there’s also Instagram reels, so.” 

The company has already started deleting data from its’ servers in Singapore and Virginia. 

And it’s all part of a one-and-a-half billion-dollar security overhaul.