TikTok has become a popular platform in recent years, especially during the peak of COVID-19 when influencers began creating viral content. This social media app has opened up new avenues for influencers to cash in on entertainment trends and engage with a global audience. Many users flock to TikTok not only for hilarious, light-hearted content but also to shop for new products, watch movie clips, and explore various opinions on topics. This diverse range of content has contributed to TikTok’s continued growth and success.
Many people are questioning why TikTok is facing a potential ban. Some believe that U.S. officials and lawmakers would be violating people’s freedom of speech, while others argue that TikTok’s impact on young users–particularly its promotion of harmful mental health content–has raised serious concerns.
Mr. Kaplan, a history teacher at BHS, shared his perspective, “So I think it’s definitely like changed people’s attention spans because it’s like an instant gratification and video form, but that always existed, as Vine existed before TikTok, and Instagram reels are out there. It’s changed how long we wait to get a payout off when watching something, but I don’t think going away is gonna change much at all, because there are so many outlets that it’ll just be a shift of clicking a different app on your phone for a similar thing.”
While some people assume that the potential TikTok ban is primarily due to its negative impact on young users, this is only part of the story. The article from bbc.com called “When could TikTok be banned and will Trump save it?” discloses that in April 2024, U.S. Congress passed a bill, signed into law by President Biden, giving ByteDance nine months to find a U.S.–approved buyer for TikTok. If not, they would face a complete shutdown. They have filed legal challenges against the law, arguing it is unconstitutional. The ban also lies in accusations from U.S. officials and lawmakers, who claim that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has ties to the Chinese government. As many are aware, TikTok’s original creator and former CEO of ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, is from China.
Concerns about national security have been raised regarding TikTok, with critics arguing that the app could be pressured by Beijing to share data on its 170 million U.S. users. The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that, due to its Chinese parent company and access to American user data, TikTok presents “a national-security threat of immense depth and scale”.
So what will happen when TikTok gets banned on Sunday, January 19, 2025? The law states that it could force online marketplaces like Apple and Google Play to remove the app, making it unavailable to download. While current users would still have TikTok on their devices, they wouldn’t be eligible to get updates, making the app eventually unusable.
As Carly Holda 25’ opines, “I think that it is completely unfair that TikTok is going to get banned and I will miss it. However, I don’t think it is gonna get banned the day it’s supposed to but it will eventually.”
This leads to many rumors and theories that TikTok still has a chance to not get banned. Rohit Khanna who is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative From California’s 17th congressional district since 2017 says, “We have 130,000 signatures on our petition to prevent TikTok from being banned on Sunday night. The White House is paying attention and the president is now considering pausing the ban.”
It’s uncertain whether TikTok will be banned, as there are many pros and cons. However, one thing is for certain: if TikTok gets banned there will be a considerable impact. For now, the banning of TikTok appears to have been lifted, at least temporarily due to President Trump’s effort.
Article finalized 1/19/25
