Should TikTok be banned in the United States? This was a question running through the heads of many Americans when TikTok was banned on January 19. While the ban lasted less than 24 hours, it was also removed from the App Store. Although the ban did not last very long, it had a large impact on the people and businesses that use it; people went crazy, crying in videos, saying goodbyes and begging their viewers to follow them to different platforms.
For so long there were rumors that TikTok would get banned, but not many people thought it would actually happen. When TikTok gained traction around the world its popularity skyrocketed in the United States, creating a large platform for influencers and businesses alike. With the ban millions of people, mostly smaller creators, were scared to lose a source of income that they relied on through the app. TikTok started out as an app similar to Musically, where mostly kids and teens were making videos lip-syncing and dancing. As the app grew it transformed into a platform where people could learn information about important topics and where people from all over the world could communicate.
Despite this, TikTok was seen as a risk to national security. The primary concern being the amount of data that TikTok collects. The US government believed that there are risks with US citizen’s data being connected to TikTok because the Chinese government could obtain access given the country’s strict data laws. For the past five years, there have been various attempts to ban the app. In 2020 during the Trump Administration, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to ban the app. He ordered ByteDance to sell their US operations but ultimately that fell through. During the Biden Administration, the US government launched a review of the security risks posed by TikTok.
Other than Presidential Administrations taking action, Congress was as well- proposing numerous bills to address the security risks. In 2023, the Restrict Act was enacted which aims to grant the US government more power to regulate or ban foreign apps, such as TikTok. The government has faced severe backlash over the years while trying to ban the app. Since TikTok is so popular, especially amongst younger Americans, it has become a significant source of entertainment, trends and social media marketing.
This ban has upset millions, with the most pressing questions coming from individuals wondering if the government had the right to ban the app with regard to free speech. This is where people begin to wonder if the government is overreaching by saying it is a threat to national security. The debate over TikTok is far from over, and while no definitive ban has been put in place. TikTok remains a major political and cultural issue, with ongoing legislative efforts to regulate the app.
