Over the past few years, TikTok, an all-encompassing platform for Gen Z, millennials, and even Gen X’ers, has exploded in popularity. Developed by the Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, it found its beginning in 2012 with headquarters in Haidian, Beijing. As of late, ByteDance has been fighting the U.S. government over the state of its “app” in the United States. The Government’s main concern is that the company is harvesting data from American citizens and selling it to the Chinese government.
According to NPR, the United States wanted the company to cut all ties to China if it wanted to remain available in our country. So, in 2024, the federal government passed a law forcing the company to sell its operations in the states. If the company chose not to do so, it would be permanently banned from all app stores in America.
Banning the app altogether was seemingly the only way our government could solve this issue. As word spread about removing the app, the 170 million users in America, some of who earn a living on the app, were outraged by this news. TikTok users from all over the country and from various age groups began voicing their opinions over other Internet platforms and on TikTok itself.
Teenagers make up one of the largest groups who use the app regularly; creating TikTok challenges, emulating dance moves, or simply watching tutorials that they find interesting. Many admit that TikTok is one of their go-to apps, along with similar apps such as Snapchat and Instagram.
“I hope they can figure something out. I don’t want to lose all of my drafts and videos,” junior Sophia Jeffries said.
As the backlash began, the fight to keep the app spiraled. Users cited the First Amendment and the ban on free speech, which would have ultimately ended with a Supreme Court ruling, which could take years.
According to The Hill, the Supreme Court would have the power to uphold the ban, and we may have said goodbye to TikTok forever. In doing so, it would make offering the app on any virtual store illegal. However, this will not delete TikTok for users immediately. Users would slowly fall behind update after update until the social media is unusable.
“I don’t care whether it stays or goes, to be honest. Whatever the government says is probably for the best,” junior Dom Delgaudio said.
On the morning of Sunday, January 19, after the app was banned for only 12 hours, TikTok was temporarily reinstated, giving their whole thanks to President Donald Trump.
According to news site Reuters.com, the president is giving ByteDance a 90-day grace period to figure out a plan. Trump stated some of America’s biggest tech names as possible future owners, including people like Elon Musk, owner of X and Tesla, Larry Ellison, majority owner of Oracle, and the Microsoft company as a whole.
Whether the famed social media sells or not, how TikTok is run and how users will see it will change forever. Whatever choice ByteDance makes will decide the fate of U.S. users and creators, who are on the edge of their seats waiting for a result.
