OPINION: The TikTok Ban
- Therina Brutus
- Jan 26
- 4 min read
By the time that you’re reading this, TikTok should have been banned in the United States. If you’re active on the app, you’ve probably scrolled through countless videos of influencers exposing their secrets to an audio clip from Family Guy. Maybe you’ve spent even longer attempting to save the videos you’ve created or watched and favorited. You might’ve even rationalized spending more time on the app in the days leading up to the date of the ban. After some convincing, it’s entirely possible that you set up an account with other apps similar to TikTok such as RedNote and Lemon8.
In the midst of all this, your time with the beloved app was likely cut short. On Saturday, January 18th, TikTok sent out a message informing users of the anticipated ban that would suspend its services in the US on January 19, 2025. Later that evening, another message was sent out that prevented users from watching videos prior to the official date of the federal ban. The app was also then removed from digital stores. Both notifications included the statement of their intention to restore service in the United States, the later one indicating collaboration with President Donald J Trump, which will be discussed further.
TikTok users opening the app will receive a pop-up message about the ban and will be redirected to a website to learn more. USA TODAY.
After a (long and agonizing) 12-hour break from TikTok, services were somehow restored in the United States. On the morning of January 19th, opening the app had directed American users to another message, which is pictured below.
A "welcome back" message appears for some users Sunday in the TikTok app. USA Today.
The notification informs users that TikTok is restored as a result of President Trump’s efforts, though his stance on the app has wavered in the past. However, TikTok remains unavailable to download in the United States. The future of the app remains unknown to many and the reasoning behind the federal ban is unclear.
Released in 2016, TikTok (otherwise known as Douyin) is a popular social media platform to create and watch short videos. Since its release, it has grown into a global phenomenon. It is known for its personalized algorithms in curating individual feeds, which allow for an addicting and highly engaging form of content. Content ranges from promoting music from emerging artists to dancing to political activism.
Despite its popularity and success, its Chinese ownership through the company ByteDance has become problematic because of possible connections to the Chinese government. In 2019, concerns about the influence of TikTok had begun to take root, calling for federal investigations into its effect on national security. From that point on, TikTok has received threats to its operation in the US under ByteDance.
In 2020, Trump issued an executive order banning American companies from transacting with ByteDance. He issued a second order that ByteDance stop controlling TikTok’s operations in the US within 90 days, which was met with the company’s decision to sue the Trump administration for the violation of due process and his plans to force a sale of TikTok fell through.
Once Joe Biden was elected president in 2020, he postponed the legal cases for Trump’s plan to ban TikTok, effectively bringing it to a halt. In 2022, it was reported that employees within ByteDance repeatedly accessed private information of TikTok users through leaked recordings of meetings. TikTok vaguely addressed this and moved its user data to American servers. But, it didn’t prevent alarm about the risks of Chinese authority accessing user data.
In 2023, the American government began to investigate the validity of the potential threat to national security that TikTok and ByteDance posed. In early 2024, the House of Representatives passed the TikTok “ban-or-sell” bill. The Senate also passed it, which sent it to former President Biden, who signed off on it.
The law gave ByteDance 270 days to sell TikTok to an owner from the United States. The parent company responded by suing, which didn’t result in the prevention of the law taking effect. On January 17th, 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal ban. The app would go dark on January 19th. Or, it was supposed to.
President Trump had given TikTok a 90-day extension for the federal ban to take effect in taking the presidential office. There is no long-term solution in place, unless he supports a new law that reverses the old one or forces a sale. The bill received overwhelming support in Congress, and ByteDance has indicated that it doesn’t intend to sell TikTok. However, it’s entirely possible that these next few months will be the final time of operation in the United States.
Though the restoration of services has been a relief for many dedicated users, it is important to remain aware of the implications of it. President Trump hasn’t always supported the app– in fact, he had been the first to try and implement a ban-or-sell bill on ByteDance and TikTok. Now, he is viewed as a savior of the app and the livelihoods of people who depend on its services. Through harnessing the appeal of the social media platform, he is able to gain support and strengthen that from those already supporting him. It is crucial that people maintain their own stances and remain true to their individual beliefs and values.
Works Cited
Colvin, Jill, and Barbara Ortutay. “Trump’s Evolution on TikTok: From Backing a Ban to Being Hailed as a Savior | AP News.” AP News, 20 Jan. 2025,
D’Souza, Deborah. “TikTok: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It'S Popular.” Investopedia, 20 Jan. 2025, www.investopedia.com/what-is-tiktok-4588933.
Duffy, Clare, and David Goldman. “TikTok Is Back Online After Trump Pledged to Restore It.” CNN, 20 Jan. 2025, www.cnn.com/2025/01/19/tech/tiktok-ban/index.html.
Hadero, Haleluya. “TikTok Says It’s in the Process of Restoring Service to US | AP News.” AP News, 20 Jan. 2025,
Hamilton, David. “TikTok Ban: A Timeline of the App’s History | AP News.” AP News, 19 Jan. 2025,
Shepardson, David. “TikTok Restores US Service After Trump Says ‘We Have to Save It.’” Reuters, 20 Jan. 2025,
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