The only explanation that makes sense to me is that TikTok is being targeted because it's teaching people to criticize their governments. It's a source of information that isn't domestically controlled and that's dangerous. It's where younger generations gather to protest and share news they don't see on Fox News or The New York Times. Coverage of the the bill don't mention changing TikTok's short-form format or restricting access to user's data - it's about either moving the corporation into the US hands or killing it's influence. Many experts and some politicians argue it's an attack on free speech and unconstitutional.

Arguments about mental health and data safety fall completely flat for me when so many other entities are left alone in spite of the same problems. Many social media platforms, ads, video games, etc. are deliberately designed to be addictive and give a "quick fix" that can harm mental health. Big companies like Google and Facebook/Meta have a business model of collecting data and "sharing" it with others. Governments collect data without protections like warrants all the time, and that includes the US. If mental health, privacy, and data safety were really the issues that motivated lawmakers we'd be seeing much more general protections (like in the EU) as opposed to targeting one company.