Are you in need of some industrial-grade glycine? You'll need to get yourself down to Donghua Jinlong. With "over 40 years of research and manufacturing experience" and "no fewer than 31 patents under their belt", their glycine is simply the best in the market.

Of course it is not very likely that you are interested in buying glycine, an amino acidAmino acids combine to form proteins.  that our bodies use to build proteinLarge biomolecules made of up amino acids, which in turn are made up of DNA.. But after the very earnest ads of Chinese glycine manufacturing company Donghua Jinlong went viral on TikTok earlier this month, it became one of the platform's biggest memes.

One American man even turned up at the company's factory in the northern city of ShijiazhuangThe capital city of China's Hebei Province, with a population of 11 million. , where baffled staff gave him a tour.¹

It is also one of the things worrying US politicians about TikTok. They think the app is influencing American teenagers' perception of China in subtle ways, making the country seem more fun and familiar to them.

They also have more tangible fears that TikTok parent companyA company that owns or controls another company. ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, will hand data on its American users to the Chinese government, although the corporation denies this.

Which is why, on Tuesday, CongressThe legislative branch of the American government, where elected representatives vote on which laws should be passed. Congress is made up of two chambers: the Senate, which contains two members from each of the 50 states, and the House of Representatives, which has representatives from 435 smaller districts. passed a bill that would ban TikTok unless ByteDance sells to another company within one year. The hope is to make the company American-owned.

It is not certain that the decision will get through the courts. Forcing ByteDance to sell might be a violation of the free speech rights of its users.²

It could also cause problems for Joe Biden. Some 170 million Americans use the app, around half the population.³

And while more Americans as a whole support banning TikTok than oppose it, surveys show 41% of younger Americans are opposed.⁴ This is a group that is already disillusioned with Biden, and might be even less inclined to vote for him in November.

But his party thinks it is worth it. And some UK politicians think it is high time Britain introduced its own ban.

They say ByteDance is under the influence of the Chinese Communist PartyAt 91 million members, the CCP is the second-largest political party in the world., which has a share in the company and a representative on its board.

They fear China could use the app to spread messages to the young people that make up a disproportionate part of its user base. Some even see the hand of the CCP in the app's content on Israel's war on GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt. . Most TikTok videos about the conflict have been staunchly pro-Palestine.

But others say this is pure paranoia. They say blaming young people's pro-Palestine sentiments on China is patronising. It just makes it look like politicians do not trust them to form their own opinions on important questions.

Moreover, CCP propaganda is famously heavy-handedOverly forceful or awkward. . If the country starts flooding people's feeds with it, they will simply lose interest in the app.

It could also hit people's livelihoods. Many use the app in the hope that if they reach enough people it will bring them fame and fortune. And small businesses use it to advertise: in 2023 these adverts brought in $15bn (£12bn) for US companies alone.⁵

But there is reason to think a TikTok ban could be good for these businesses. India banned TikTok in 2020 due to tensions on the Chinese border. Since then a number of local social media companies have sprung up to fill the gap.

Would this be a good idea?

Yes: TikTok is an asset of a foreign government, one that looks increasingly hostile towards Britain's interests. Banning it would make space for UK companies to develop their own alternatives.

No: This is a moral panic fuelled by older people's refusal to accept that young people can think for themselves. Free speech means letting people see whatever content they like on whatever platform they like.

Or... Rather than Chinese interference we should be worried about the addictiveness of TikTok. The app works like a slot machine, keeping its users on it for hours and hours, their time draining away.

Amino acid - Amino acids combine to form proteins. 

Protein - Large biomolecules made of up amino acids, which in turn are made up of DNA.

Shijiazhuang - The capital city of China's Hebei Province, with a population of 11 million.

Parent company - A company that owns or controls another company.

Congress - The legislative branch of the American government, where elected representatives vote on which laws should be passed. Congress is made up of two chambers: the Senate, which contains two members from each of the 50 states, and the House of Representatives, which has representatives from 435 smaller districts.

Chinese Communist Party - At 91 million members, the CCP is the second-largest political party in the world.

Gaza - The smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt.

Heavy-handed - Overly forceful or awkward.