BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's not just for kids anymore.
American University professor and social media expert Jason Mollica said video-sharing social media platform TikTok really took off during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now among the trendiest and most popular.
"Even if you look at the data, it will show you how it is in the top percentage of those popular social media platforms, even above Twitter right now," Mollica said.
With its popularity though are growing concerns about TikTok's Chinese parent company and the potential access the communist government has to American data.
"The U.S. side of things, they're very uneasy about that. TikTok and its CEO has been very adamant saying that they are not in any way shape or form using this, giving anything to the Chinese government, but obviously, many people in the United States are concerned," Mollica said.
If the controversy sounds familiar, it is. In 2020, the Trump administration took steps to ban the platform but a federal judge blocked those actions.
"We're back to this point, I think, because obviously where the U.S. and China stand on their foreign relations. We've seen a lot of tension and it just doesn't have anything to do with a balloon being shot down or a number of balloons being shot down," Mollica said.
Federal lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that aims to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless it cuts ties with its current owner. During an ABC News interview this weekend, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the proposal should be looked at.
Mollica believes less drastic plans, like a proposal from New York state Sen. Kevin Thomas to ban the app on government-issued phones, may be more likely to happen.
"I think people are worrying a little too much because of the connection, because of where things stand with the U.S. China and their relations right now but I also understand that you don't want to take a risk," he said.
Mollica said American concerns may not lessen until TikTok's CEO testifies before Congress which he is scheduled to do late next month.