U.S. Public Opinion and Government Regulation of Foreign Social Media Apps: A “Hidden Consensus” About What to Ban?

How do concerns about foreign social media app’s geopolitical and economic threats and impact on the domestic political economy influence individual support for government decisions to ban such apps? We address this question through a conjoint analysis conducted in November 2024 (N =1,494). Our findings indicate that geopolitical concerns dominate the respondents’ calculations. Apps that pose low risks to U.S. military/intelligence or corporate interests, provide strong data privacy protection, or are privately owned are less likely to be targeted for bans. Political economy concerns about reciprocal access or employment opportunities are also important determinants. App-specific features mattered, but to a lesser extent. Sub-group analysis reveals a remarkable lack of heterogeneity. Our results point to a surprisingly strong “hidden consensus” about what to ban—with TikTok-like features arousing opposition among the American public—suggesting that the trajectories of the liberal international economic order and the digital world order mirror each other.