Polls Show TikTok Ban Not Supported By Florida Residents

With the possibility of a TikTok ban looming for early next year, polls show that not everyone is behind the ban. Florida residents appear to be strongly opposed to it - and the differences appear to be politically motivated.

According to HostingAdvice.com, the publishers of the study, "Although a TikTok ban is viewed as a bipartisan issue, states tend to follow party lines on the topic, according to the survey results. Almost all of the states that most support a ban are historically blue, while those that oppose it are traditionally red."

Here's the data, Florida certainly fits that statment:

Top 3 States That Most Support a TikTok Ban

Top 3 States That Most Oppose a TikTok Ban

The law that was passed says that if TikTok doesn't sell itself, the ban will be enforced on January 19, 2025. The basis of the ruling states that the Chinese government may be using TikTok to access sensitive user data. They may also be using the algorithm to influence American behavior. A lot of people here in the US actually get their news from TikTok, the potential for the platform being used to push propaganda is real.

36% of TikTok users believe the Chinese government can access their data through TikTok. This view is held by 46% of Republicans and 34% of Democrats. But wait, that seems backwards. Doesn't it?

It is, however, very likely that even without a sale, that deadline will pass as the issue will be tied up in court for quite some time. So if you're a Florida TikTok influencer - no need to panic just yet. But....

Since we're on the topic of social media and censorship, a related Supreme Court ruling came down yesterday. According to CNN "White House and federal agencies such as the FBI may continue to urge social media platforms to take down content the government views as misinformation."

This means the Department of Homeland Security can continue flag posts on Facebook and X that they deem misinformation. This is a key ruling in an election year as foreign countries could try to influence the election with untrue and misleading posts. The downside being that the Secretary of Homeland Security is a position appointed by the President, meaning there's a likely political affiliation. So the potential for political bias on what's deemed 'misinformation' is possible.

So why does Florida and other red states oppose the TikTok ban when blue states are for it? That's even though nearly half of Republicans believe TikTok is sharing user data with the Chinese government. And why do Democrats want it banned when only a third of them think the same is true? Maybe that's something that will come up in the debate or in the course of the election campaigning.

Both candidates have TikTok accounts, Trump with 7 million followers, and Biden with 387,000.

With summer in full swing, the temperatures are getting hot, but these new titles coming to streaming in July 2024 are even hotter.

Streaming giant Netflix has a few new seasons of beloved series dropping on the streamer this month, as well as a new show. Fans of Vikings will see the third and final season of Vikings: Valhalla, due to drop on July 11th. The saga continues with Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), and Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson). Although it’s the final season, fans will also meet two new characters: Maniakes (Florian Munteanu), a fearless Byzantine general who answers only to the Emir, and Erik the Red (Goran Višnjić), Leif and Freydís’ father. The historical fiction series, which premiered in 2021, follows how tension arises between the Vikings and the English in the early 11th century, inspired by characters in Norse mythology.

A week later, Cobra Kai drops Season 6, divided into three parts to complete the series. On July 18th, the first five episodes of part one will be released all at once. Cobra Kai is based on the 1984 film series The Karate Kid. Original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) continues the story from when he first arrived in the Valley in 1984 to the present day, where he’s helped influence a new generation of underdog heroes, formed unlikely alliances, and honored the lessons of his sensei, Mr. Miyagi, in a dojo of his own.

For reality TV lovers, Too Hot to Handle will premiere Season 6 on Netflix on July 19th. The reality dating competition encourages single participants to leave their lives of mingling and flings behind in exchange for committed relationships, offering a maximum prize pot of $250,000 for a couple who can form a strong emotional bond and lay the foundations for a successful relationship.

A new dark comedy titled The Decameron premieres on Netflix on July 25th. Loosely inspired by the iconic short story collection of the same name, the series examines the all-too-timely theme of class struggles in the season of a pandemic as a cast of misfits tries to outlast the bubonic plague pandemic in 1348 Florence. The Decameron stars Tony Hale as Sirisco, Zosia Mamet as Pampinea, Saoirse Monica-Jackson as Misia, Tanya Reynolds as Licisca, Karan Gill as Panfilo, and more.

Netflix doesn't have all the notable titles, as AppleTV+ has quite a few new series premiering on their roster for July. Thriller series Sunny stars Rashida Jones living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As a consolation, she is given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband's electronics company. The series premieres on July 10th. The next day, in the sci-fi coming-of-age family series Me, a 12-year-old kid named Ben (Lucian-River Chauhan), who is in the throes of middle school, adjusts to a newly blended family and the realization that he has superpowers.

Over on Hulu, the streamer has returning seasons of popular television series dropping in July. First, reality competition Claim to Fame returns for Season 3 on July 10th. Co-hosted by siblings Kevin and Frankie Jonas, the series challenges 12 celebrity relatives to step outside their famous family members' shadows and live together under one roof, concealing their identities and lineage in the quest for their own fame and fortune. They compete in challenges, form alliances, and play DNA detective in hopes of avoiding elimination and winning the coveted $100,000 prize. The long-running adult animated series Futurama returns for the 12th season on July 29th. The show initially aired in 1999.

Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. Streams on Netlix on July 3rd.

Max snags another A24 film, this time with the thriller crime starring Kristen Stewart as Lou, a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie (Katy M. O'Brian), an ambitious bodybuilder who's heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou's criminal family. Ed Harris and Dave Franco are also in the cast. The film drops on Max on July 19th.

Coming off a flop album and his biggest hit's dwindling popularity, aging rock star John Allman (Harry Connick Jr.) decides to take a break from his career to reclaim his spark. He moves to an isolated cliffside home on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Cyprus. His dream of keeping a low profile is derailed when he is routinely confronted by desperate souls and later faced with even more complicated surprises when an old flame reignites. Also starring Agni Scott, Ali Fumiko Whitney, Tony Demetriou, Angeliki Filipidou, Lea Maleni, Athina Roditou and Clarence Smith. Comes to Netflix on July 19th.