Compared to news channel, Facebook, and articles online, TikTok actually exposes shitty businesses, reveals what is actually going on in the world, gives you advice on how to deal with toxic workplaces, do only what is required in your job description, etc. The US government cannot control the content shown on TikTok and this resulted in a lot of younger people like myself to see what truly is going on.
The U.S. government claims banning TikTok will help protect its citizen, yet they fail to protect its citizen from a recession, corporate price gouging, making railroad strike illegal, not helping the working people, etc. TikTok basically exposes a lot of suppressed information hidden by mainstream media.
French protest has been gaining a lot of steam on TikTok lately, and Im sure the U.S. government does not want its citizen to get the same idea. It's not about “protecting security data” it's about control.