To the relief of many, the widely popular social media platform “TikTok” averted its ban following January 19, through the actions of newly inaugurated President Donald J. Trump. Back in 2020, the TikTok Ban was first discussed after Trump ruled it as a security
threat. As of now, the President has granted the app a 75-day extension through an executive order during which the CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, will decide to sell it or close it down in the U.S. according to NPR. In light of the news of the pause, some students are relieved while others wonder how the recurring Trump administration will influence TikTok. Senior Jasmine Gambhir says she felt relieved after the 12-hour ban was lifted on January 19 which commenced abruptly the night before. She has been a user of TikTok since its Musical.ly days, the platform’s name before it was rebranded. Gambhir says she interacts with TikTok daily as it provides bite-sized information that accommodates her busy schedule.
“I use it pretty much daily as a source of entertainment and also to keep up…Without it I would be so out of the loop,” Gambhir said.
Due to TikTok’s large number of American users, especially teenagers, Gambhir was skeptical that the platform would truly shut down. She heard rumors that the idea was to redirect TikTok users to Meta apps like Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, she thought Trump would halt the ban because the platform may have partly helped him win the presidential election. Regarding substitutes for the platform, Gambhir along with many others does not believe any other app can equate to what TikTok provides for its users in terms of experience.
“When TikTok was banned that first day, I did move to Instagram Reels but it wasn’t the same. I feel like TikTok is just such a different
community compared to any other app,” Gambhir said.
On the subject of TikTok’s future in the U.S. and potential buyers, Gambhir is unsure of the app’s fate.
“At the end of the day, we kind of have no way of predicting or knowing what’s happening. Whatever happens, happens,” Gambhir said.
Though most users are hopeful that the case of TikTok will be resolved, many are unconvinced about why the ban came about in the first place. A widely circulated belief is that the original intent behind the TikTok ban is censorship and not the public claim that the app is a national security threat.
“If it was really for national security, [the government] would ban things like Temu and Shein,” senior Phoebe Scala said, referring to two Chinese websites that are linked to fraud and work violations.
Scala was a regular user of TikTok before January 19 and believes the app has created a safe space for many communities and has also been an opportunity for small businesses to grow. For example, many of these small businesses utilize TikTok shop, which allows sellers to sell to consumers through the app. Scala believes that if the ban were to occur, these small businesses would not be able to extend their reach as effectively.
After the brief 12-hour ban on TikTok, users including Scala were met with a welcome message thanking President Trump for his efforts in restoring the app. Scala believes this message is related to oncoming political propaganda on the social media platform.
“Ever since January 19th, a lot of what I see on my TikTok algorithm has been stuff pushing Trump’s agenda and his administration’s agenda,” Scala said.
While she doesn’t believe it needs to be shut down in the U.S., she thinks the government should be better at managing fraudulent foreign websites like Temu and Shein. There’s also been many rumors circulating on who the potential buyers of TikTok could be. Now it’s uncertain if TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will actually end up selling it.
Youtuber MrBeast has supposedly put in his official offer for the platform saying “he might become the new CEO.”
Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank and billionaire Elon Musk are also interested in buying the app.
“Only one group has the tech to pull this off without breaking a sweat. Guess Who?” O’Leary said according to TIME magazine.
Donald Trump has also proposed a joint venture between a U.S company and ByteDance to share a 50/50 ownership according to UPI.
Trump has also stated that he expects a decision in the next 30 days. For now though, TikTok will stay off the app store and hopefully come back soon.
Junior Antonio Dunn says TikTok being banned for security reasons was a complete lie, and that TikTok should be kept because of the amount of small businesses and influencers that would have been affected.
TikTok influencer Alix Earle responded to the ban with “I feel like I’m going through a heartbreak” and “This platform is more than an app or a job to me. I have so many memories on here.”
Several other influencers have also complained and they feel “disconnected” and “cut off ” from their communities when the app wasn’t available according to TIME.
Dunn also says he doesn’t plan on going back to TikTok and getting on a dopamine train. He also mentions he’s not interested in the app anymore because he isn’t in support of Trump’s actions and someone who is fine with ignoring his actions.
Additionally, many users were greeted with a welcome message back to the app on January 19, which Dunn thought was weird.
“My sisters did show me [the welcome message]…It wasn’t actually welcoming,” Dunn said.
Overall, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains conflicted with Chew having to come to a decision of selling or withholding his app within 75 days. Regardless, the app has had a considerable effect on many teenagers and students at West in terms of the irreplaceable community the platform has assisted in building.