TikTok is awash in warnings that young men in the U.S. could soon be drafted into military service and panicked reactions to that prospect — but all of it is predicated on a misinterpretation of a bill currently making its way through Congress.
For generations, American men have been federally required to register with the Selective Service System once they turn 18, making them eligible for the military draft. Presently, the U.S. maintains all-volunteer armed forces, and the most recent Selective Service conscription came to an end in 1973 as the Vietnam War drew to a close. In the half-century since, however, large-scale U.S. military actions abroad have sporadically raised fears that men aged 18 through 25 will be called up to serve.
Now, with the country supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia and Israel as it continues its siege on Gaza, proposed legislation intended to simplify Selective Service registration has convinced some young people that they are at risk of seeing combat in the very near future.
“This is deadass gonna happen,” said TikTok user @_adhdmontay in a recent video that has been viewed more than 1 million times. He proceeded to list a number of factors he erroneously suggested would make an individual more likely to be drafted, including having a driver’s license (some states allow you to transfer personal information over to the Selective Service when applying for this identification). But @_adhdmontay omitted the fact that registration is mandatory in any case, with failure to comply punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison sentence of five years. “This is so sad,” he said. “If you just get chosen, you’re gonna get pulled out your door and you’re gonna have to go.”
The exaggerated claims were based on a headline about the U.S. House of Representatives last week passing a version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act that included a provision for automating Selective Service registration of American men aged 18 through 25. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, sponsored the measure as a way to save taxpayer money and help young men avoid the penalties they face for not registering. Currently, the Selective Service System spends millions of dollars on programs to raise compliance rates, which have nonetheless slipped in recent years, in part because federal student loan applications no longer include the option to sign up.
The amendment does nothing but streamline the existing process — and, again, it’s been 50 years since Selective Service has been used to induct anyone into the military. Moreover, the Senate hasn’t yet passed the bill to be signed into law by President Biden. Influencers have still misleadingly framed it as the prelude to a massive draft.
“As of today, you don’t need to worry about registering for the military draft,” said Arizona lawyer and political commentator Ian Corzine in a TikTok viewed nearly 5 million times, sketching a paranoid scenario about the government digging into “federal computer databases” to “find your name and draft you if needed.” The clip carried the implication of a conspiracy theory: “Why would Congress need to pass such a law right now?” Corzine asked. “Why would we need an army full of draftees? We’re not even at war… right?”
Steve Ram, a self-described “entrepreneur” with a “breaking news” TikTok account, took the premise a step further in a video viewed 2.5 million times, alluding to “rumors the U.S. draft would need to come back” and the possibility of “World War III.” He also falsely asserted that women would be required to register for Selective Service; no such change has been made to the agency’s operations.
Rapper Cardi B was among those who took the bill to mean that a draft of Gen Z men was imminent, joking in a video that they would be unsuited for war. “Good luck with that,” she said with a laugh. “You gonna die.” Across social media, young people have commented to the effect that they will face jail time rather than fight, and that only poorer Americans will be put in harm’s way. (Some, including @_adhdmontay, have argued that prisoners should be drafted into military service.) The panicked response continues a trend set off by deepfake footage of Biden supposedly activating the draft, which has been regularly shared by right-wing misinformation peddlers since February 2023.
Not everyone is buying the bogus narrative, however. “Why is everyone freaking out about the Selective Service thing right now?” asked TikToker @mrsomebody42069, who unlike many distorting the effect of the bill appears to be around the age of draft eligibility himself. “This has been a thing, they just made it so you don’t have to fill out a form online.” The top commenter on the video summed up their frustration with the discourse on the topic: “The first intelligent person talking about this on this app,” they wrote. Rest easy, zoomers — boot camp has been postponed for now.