Skubick: New poll shows TikTok debate shows political divide

FOX 2 (WJBK) - A new national poll shows the country is deeply divided on how to regulate the popular social media platform TikTok showing the divide crosses ethnic, political, educational, and gender lines.

In a national security move to protect the United States from foreign interference,  a majority of the U.S. House recently voted to force the TikTok Chinese owners to sell to an American company.

The  Quinnipiac University asked voters if they agreed and 51% said yes but 40% said no.

The TikTok data is very revealing.

First there is a political divide 64% of Republicans back the sale.

But only 43% of the Democrats agree and independents concur at 46 percent.

It's no shock that there is a huge age disagreement, because those aged 18-34 use this product more than anybody else and they strongly oppose the sale.

Virtually every other age group in the country, supports it.

There is also an ethnic divide - 58% of white voters back the sale while 42% of African Americans oppose it. And by a seven-point margin more men than women want the plan.

And if you hold a college degree, you are likely to back the sale and if you don't, you are not a supporter of it.

Driving this national debate is the concern that the Chinese owners of the app collect a wealth of data on users, and will share it with the Chinese Communist government. a charge they deny.

About 45% are very concerned about the sharing of data, while 11% are not. The same divide is seen among those same lines.

The legislation does not appear to be on a fast track in the U.S. Senate.