Readers split on TikTok ban

Maricopa residents are split on whether TikTok should be allowed on the mobile phone screens of people in town. That’s according to the results of an informal InMaricopa poll last week. 

Once trumpeted as a video-sharing platform for children, the app has cropped up again in the crosshairs of government officials. Because TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, many have labeled it a threat to national security. 

About 300 people voted the recent poll. 

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors banned TikTok from all county-owned devices in May. About one-third of voters in our poll said they would like Pinal County to follow suit. 

One of our readers, Karma Valenzuela, questioned why the app was available on government devices in the first place. 

Montana instituted a sweeping ban on the app that same month. The ban, which encompasses all devices in the state, is slated to take effect Jan. 1. About one-third of our poll’s respondents said downloading the app should be illegal in Pinal County. 

Most voters, just shy of 40%, said TikTok should remain unrestricted. 

Some Maricopans rely on TikTok as a primary source of income. For local resident Ana Regalado, TikTok is a full-time engagement. She posts recipes and cooking videos to her TikTok account, Salty Cocina. 

Just 3% of voters didn’t take a stance, choosing the option, “What even is a TikTok?”