TikTok, as far as we know it, isn't a problem any more than any other social media app, more or less.

The problem is our relationship with China. While our countries aren't at war (at least traditionally) with one another, the relationship is antagonistic. We simply don't trust each other. I can't speak on the why for China, but on the US end, China doesn't respect intellectual property laws and has outright stolen tech from North American companies like Nortel and GE among hundreds of others. Add to that the various misinformation campaigns China has used to attack the US and other countries, along with the fact that they've supported Russia and North Korea, have hacked network infrastructure in the US, and you have a very negative picture of China when it comes to US national security.

And it's through that lens that something like TikTok, which has been used by US soldiers who are deployed, and government employees while on the job, and teens and everyone else, is seen under a different light. Through that lens, if you're FBI/CIA/NSA, you realize that it would possible for a silly video taken at a military base to geotag the location, and the video itself to be able to be combined with other videos to map out that location. Or how silly video challenges could slowly erode social norms. Or how videos posted to TikTok of say the recent hearing could frame questions in a way that doesn't show the fuller context. The kicker is that the CCP could get all of this data if they wanted.

I'm sure there's some good ol' fashioned xenophobia tossed in there. And the thing is, the US runs some of it's own https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/how-hollywood-became-the-unofficial-propaganda-arm-of-the-u-s-military-1.5560575 propoganda on us. I'll take US propoganda over China's as ours isn't intent on destabilization. Even though I think a full ban is probably pointless and RESTRICT Act is probably the new PATRIOT Act (need time to read fully), the fact that there are so many who are vehemently pro-TikTok without thinking critically is partial proof their influence is working imo.

Be open to hearing opposing viewpoints and seek out many sources for important stories. You may not agree with the other side, but you'll understand their position, and likely get a fuller understanding of any given situation.