Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) suggested he would consider banning the popular social media platform TikTok if he were elected president in 2024, citing his concern for cybersecurity.
The platform, owned by the Beijing-based internet company ByteDance, has approximately 150 million users in the United States. DeSantis stated that he would not go as far as using the Restrict Act, which is a bipartisan measure giving the president permission to act against foreign software and services from adversaries of the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal.
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“I am inclined to not want TikTok in the United States,” said DeSantis. “I think it’s creating a security vulnerability for us. I think they are mining a lot of data.”
In discussing the ban, DeSantis claimed that TikTok is “very, very toxic” for children.
“At the end of the day, I don’t want 'big brother' to be getting into everybody’s apps,” said DeSantis. “It’s about vulnerabilities to our country.”
The discussion on banning TikTok comes after former President Donald Trump tried to ban the app from the U.S. in 2020, though the ban ultimately never came to be. Though many Democrats have voiced opposition to a ban on TikTok, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) praised Trump in 2022 for his attempt to ban the platform, warning that parents should be "very concerned" about their children using the app.
While a national ban on TikTok has yet to be implemented, several states have taken the initiative to ban the platform on state devices, with Nebraska being the first. Other states, including South Dakota, Maryland, Texas, and Oklahoma have followed.
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In a poll released on Tuesday, DeSantis fell to 15% support among potential Republican primary voters, with former President Donald Trump continuing his dominance of the primary race at 58%.
It comes as Trump is facing a superseding indictment from special counsel Jack Smith over allegations he mishandled classified documents after leaving office. On Tuesday night, Smith issued a new indictment against Trump on a slew of charges related to his actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.