The findings come as TikTok faces an April deadline to be sold or potentially face a nationwide ban, highlighting shifting public sentiment around the platform’s presence in the U.S. market.
Image source: Pew Research Center
Political Divides Persist Despite Overall Decline in Support
Republicans remain more likely than Democrats to support a ban (39% vs. 30%), though support has declined in both parties since early 2023. Democratic support for a ban has slightly increased since the summer of 2024.
The most dramatic split appears between TikTok users and non-users. Among those who don’t use the platform, 45% support a ban, compared to just 12% of active users.
Security Concerns Drive Support for Ban
For the first time, Pew asked respondents about the reasoning behind their positions. Among ban supporters, data security and Chinese ownership emerge as the primary concerns:
83% cite data security risks as a major reason
75% point to TikTok’s Chinese ownership
54% mention concerns about misinformation on the platform
46% worry about excessive time spent on TikTok
While Republicans and Democrats who support a ban both cite data security as a major concern (84% and 82% respectively), partisan differences emerge on other factors. Republicans are more focused on Chinese ownership (81% vs. 68% for Democrats), while Democrats are more concerned about misinformation (64% vs. 46% for Republicans).
Image credit: Pew Research Center
Free Speech Concerns Dominate Opposition
Among the 32% of Americans who oppose a TikTok ban, free speech concerns dominate:
74% say restricting free speech is a major reason for their opposition
63% cite TikTok’s value as an information and entertainment source
61% believe there isn’t sufficient evidence that TikTok threatens national security
48% worry about economic impacts on those who earn income from the platform
Free speech concerns resonate across political lines, with 76% of Democrats and 72% of Republicans opposing a ban, citing this as a major factor.
Perceived National Security Threat Diminishes
The share of Americans who view TikTok as a national security threat has declined to 49%, down from 59% in May 2023. This change primarily reflects a drop in those who see the app as a “major” threat, falling from 29% to 21%.
Republican perception of TikTok as a security threat has fallen the most, from 70% to 54%, with those viewing it as a major threat dropping from 41% to 25%. Among Democrats, the decline was more modest, from 53% to 46%.
Public Remains Divided
Despite these shifts, Americans remain closely divided on the TikTok issue. Current polling shows 34% support a ban, 32% oppose it, and 33% are unsure, indicating uncertainty about how to approach the platform’s future in the U.S.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
Public support for banning TikTok in the United States has fallen over the past two years, according to new research from Pew Research Center. Now, 34% of American adults favor a ban, down from 50% in March 2023.
The findings come as TikTok faces an April deadline to be sold or potentially face a nationwide ban, highlighting shifting public sentiment around the platform’s presence in the U.S. market.
Image source: Pew Research Center
Political Divides Persist Despite Overall Decline in Support
Republicans remain more likely than Democrats to support a ban (39% vs. 30%), though support has declined in both parties since early 2023. Democratic support for a ban has slightly increased since the summer of 2024.
The most dramatic split appears between TikTok users and non-users. Among those who don’t use the platform, 45% support a ban, compared to just 12% of active users.
Security Concerns Drive Support for Ban
For the first time, Pew asked respondents about the reasoning behind their positions. Among ban supporters, data security and Chinese ownership emerge as the primary concerns:
While Republicans and Democrats who support a ban both cite data security as a major concern (84% and 82% respectively), partisan differences emerge on other factors. Republicans are more focused on Chinese ownership (81% vs. 68% for Democrats), while Democrats are more concerned about misinformation (64% vs. 46% for Republicans).
Image credit: Pew Research Center
Free Speech Concerns Dominate Opposition
Among the 32% of Americans who oppose a TikTok ban, free speech concerns dominate:
Free speech concerns resonate across political lines, with 76% of Democrats and 72% of Republicans opposing a ban, citing this as a major factor.
Perceived National Security Threat Diminishes
The share of Americans who view TikTok as a national security threat has declined to 49%, down from 59% in May 2023. This change primarily reflects a drop in those who see the app as a “major” threat, falling from 29% to 21%.
Republican perception of TikTok as a security threat has fallen the most, from 70% to 54%, with those viewing it as a major threat dropping from 41% to 25%. Among Democrats, the decline was more modest, from 53% to 46%.
Public Remains Divided
Despite these shifts, Americans remain closely divided on the TikTok issue. Current polling shows 34% support a ban, 32% oppose it, and 33% are unsure, indicating uncertainty about how to approach the platform’s future in the U.S.
Read the full report here.