I remember that fateful day when TikTok was announced to be banned in the United States on Jan. 10, 2025. As someone who never downloaded the app, I initially felt rather indifferent. My sentiment was that it was just another entertainment app. However, after looking at the reactions of a lot of people, you would assume Jan. 19 was the date of a horrific doomsday.
It felt as if the people of America were truly united for once. Everyone was panicking over their beloved app and speculating which app would become their next substitute. The time leading up to the ban also revealed how obsessed some people were with the app. I’ve never seen so many tears shed over an app since the termination of Club Penguin. Influencers were filled with grief saying goodbye to their fans, and in other words, their livelihood.
Although I cannot share the same sentiment as some of these influencers, I can assert that the U.S. government’s way of handling the TikTok ban was merciless and inadequate. While I understand that the government may have banned TikTok for the sake of national security, the movement itself caused too much discourse amongst Americans. The ban is planned to be reinstated on June 19, so a reflection on the first ban is more relevant than ever.
The first signs that set off a warning bell in my head were how little the government showed transparency when explaining why they had to instate this ban. In the Supreme Court decision of TikTok Inc. v. Garland on Jan. 17, 2025, the ruling stated that, “Executive Branch officials ultimately determined, however, that ByteDance Ltd.’s proposed agreement did not adequately ‘mitigate the risks posed to U.S. national security interests.’” The government lacked any national addresses to the public and were vague with exact examples and reasons for why the ban was happening.
In spite of the reason for the ban being stated, the government lacked proper communication in conveying not only the reason for the ban, but also the details and instances of why this occurred directly to TikTok users themselves. Americans’ confusion and dismay over what felt like their right to free speech being infringed upon resulted from the government’s failure in being able to reassure the American people. To minimize confusion and dismay, the government should have handled it in a way where the public was given proper context in an easily accessible and understandable format.
Additionally, the argument that TikTok poses security risks becomes implausible when you remember that there are other digital apps and websites in China that abide by similar terms and conditions as TikTok. In fact, one of the most popular TikTok alternatives users were starting to download was RedNote, another social media app based in China. If the government was truly concerned over all apps from China potentially breaching U.S. security, there should have been measures taken against all of these applications. Instead, ByteDance-owned Capcut and TikTok were the only concern. While Texas has banned RedNote, it has not received the same focus and attention that the U.S. government has given to TikTok. While it could be argued that TikTok had a much bigger audience, which may have made it a bigger security threat, it also seemed like TikTok could provide the government with more publicity when they both banned and reinstated it.
The message that popped up on TikTok when it was available again also raised a red flag. When users logged back onto the app after the ban period, they were shown the message: “Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”
This was particularly ironic, given that during his first term in office in 2020, Trump was one of the strongest advocates for banning TikTok. On Aug. 6, 2020, Trump made an executive order targeting Tiktok. In his order, he explicitly stated, “At this time, action must be taken to address the threat posed by one mobile application in particular, TikTok.” However, his current framing of the situation has made it appear as if the Biden administration was the only one who wanted the app banned. During the ban, the app’s notice stated, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.” Everything from the diction used to the odd 12-hour ban period framed the situation to look like a publicity stunt.
Many have commented that they feel as if their for-you pages have changed after the ban. Additionally, despite being recovered, TikTok was still not available in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store until Feb. 13, 2025. Many aspects of the ban and its aftermath remained uncertain and confusing for many users. Trump had initially given ByteDance until April 5th to divest from TikTok, and he worked with 4 unnamed groups with interest in purchasing TikTok. However, he has since extended the deadline to June 19.
With more prevalent issues like climate change, a horrible economy, wars ravaging in other countries and school shootings, why is a social media app taking precedence over everything else? If we focus all our concerns and efforts on external issues, where will we find the time and resources to focus on the issues that the American people have?
