Majority of Americans think TikTok is a Chinese spying tool that Beijing is using to manipulate public opinion

The majority of Americans are convinced that the Chinese government is using TikTok to manipulate the U.S. public opinion as politicians press to ban the app. 

New data found that 58 percent of Americans agree that the Chinese government uses social media app TikTok to 'influence American public opinion.'

The data came from a two-day Reuters/IPSOS poll conducted on Tuesday that asked 1,022 U.S. adults nationwide for their opinion. 

In the other hand, 13 percent of Americans disagreed with the statement - and did not think that the app, which is owned by China's ByteDance, is being used to control public opinion. 

Republicans were more likely than Democrats to see China as using the app to exploit Americans and their beliefs. 

The majority of Americans are convinced that the Chinese government is using TikTok to manipulate the U.S. public opinion as politicians press to ban the app

New data found that 58 percent of Americans agree that the Chinese government uses social media app TikTok to 'influence American public opinion.' Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping 

The remaining 29 percent of responders were unsure or didn't answer the question. 

TikTok says it has spent more than $1.5 billion on data security efforts and would not share data on its 170 million U.S. users with the Chinese government. 

The company told Congress last year that it does 'not promote or remove content at the request of the Chinese government.' 

President Joe Biden last week signed legislation giving ByteDance 270 days to divest TikTok's U.S. assets or face a ban.

TikTok has vowed to challenge the ban as a violation of the protections of free expression enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and TikTok users are expected to again take legal action. 

A U.S. judge in Montana in November blocked a state ban on TikTok, citing free-speech concerns.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 50 percent of Americans supported banning TikTok, while 32 percent opposed a ban and the rest were unsure. 

The poll only surveyed U.S. adults and doesn't reflect the views of people under age 18, who make up a significant portion of TikTok's users in the United States. 

About six in 10 poll respondents aged 40 and older supported a ban, compared with about four in 10 aged 18-39.

The poll showed 46 percent of Americans agreed with a statement that China is using the app to 'spy on everyday Americas,' an allegation Beijing has denied.

President Joe Biden last week signed legislation giving ByteDance 270 days to divest TikTok's U.S. assets or face a ban

Biden's rival, Republican Donald Trump, who has criticized a potential ban and is the majority owner of the company that operates his social media app Truth Social, has not joined

The app is ubiquitous in America. Even Biden's re-election campaign is using it as a tool to win over voters ahead of the November 5 presidential election. 

Biden's rival, Republican Donald Trump, who has criticized a potential ban and is the majority owner of the company that operates his social media app Truth Social, has not joined.

A majority of Americans, 60 percent, said it was inappropriate for U.S. political candidates to use TikTok to promote their campaigns.

Biden's signing of the law sets a Jan. 19 deadline for a sale - one day before his term is set to expire - but he could extend the deadline by three months if he determines that ByteDance is making progress on divesting the app.

The poll, which was conducted online, gathered responses from 1,022 U.S. adults nationwide and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points. 

TikTok did not immediately respond when DailyMail.com reached out to request a comment.