It Looks Like the TikTok Ban May Really Happen… Here’s Why
Will the TikTok ban finally occur?
The popular app TikTok is facing a possible ban in the United States after a final appeal on December 6th, which suggests the app may be gone for good on January 19, 2025. With 170 million users, the talk of a TikTok ban has sparked a mix of reactions across the country, with some people relieved and others upset about the possible loss of the app. So far, here is what to know about this potential ban that has everyone talking.
There are several reasons why the app is under fire and has been brought to the Supreme Court. The proposed ban stems from questions of data security, U.S.-China political tensions, and international privacy concerns.
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Why Is TikTok Under Fire?
TikTok may be banned in the U.S. due to concerns over data privacy and national security, as the app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, raising fears that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government.
The threat of a ban began in 2020 under Donald Trump’s presidency after he voiced security concerns, believing that the video platform was collecting data from users to share with the Chinese government.
This led to a deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American company, like Microsoft or Oracle, or risk a ban. In August 2020, Trump signed an executive order demanding TikTok be banned unless ByteDance sold its U.S. business.
The ban has been threatened by the U.S. government ever since and TikTok has kept fighting back, though Trump has since reversed his position earlier this year in March 2024. Forbes breaks down the timeline of the proposed ban here.
What We Know Now
CNN Business reports that President Joe Biden enacted a law in April 2024 mandating that TikTok must be sold to a company that is not based in China, and that failure to do so would result in a nationwide ban. TikTok argued that the law infringed on the First Amendment rights of both the company and its users.
The company appealed to the Supreme Court to delay the ban set for January 19th, 2025, but their request to overturn the law was rejected.
Forbes reported on the case on December 13th, “In Friday’s ruling, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Appeals Court affirmed the initial decision that said protecting Americans from foreign security threats outweighs TikTok’s First Amendment rights.” As of right now, it is looking like the beloved app could be facing the end come January 19, 2025.
What a TikTok Ban Could Mean for Users
A federal TikTok ban would prohibit the App Store from offering the video platform in the United States. Though it’s very possible a new video-sharing app could emerge from this ban. Some parents believe this is a good thing as TikTok has consumed their children’s free time and increased screen time.
However, many parents and users argue that the ban is an infringement on their rights. Millions of people of all ages use the app for various reasons, including earning commissions by selling items on TikTok Shop and being in the creator fund.
Still others rely on the app for a sense of community, and for sharing information that is otherwise censored on other platforms. That is another big reason why many believe the app has been the subject of the potential ban in the first place.
Of course, in the fast-moving world of social media and tech, anything can happen. Just this past Monday, Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago estate, so we’ll have to wait and see what comes next.
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