In the years since the popular app TikTok launched, it has become one of the most influential and downloaded apps in the world, creating a space for creators to express and showcase themselves. Now it is considered a national security threat that has resulted in a ban. But, is this ban justifiable or is the U.S. government wasting its time?
Tiktok was created in November of 2017 when its parent company, ByteDance, launched it as a spinoff of the popular app Douyin which gained lots of popularity in China. Since then, there have been countless security concerns. In 2019, the U.S. issued a ban on all military-issued phones, and, in 2020, demands from President Trump caused a temporary halt of operations in the U.S. By 2022 ByteDance fired four employees who accessed the personal information of two journalists, including their IP addresses.
To investigate these concerns, a six-hour congressional hearing with the CEO of TikTok, Zhou Zi Chou, was held. Some felt that the lawmakers’ questions were unprofessional and misinformed, repeatedly asking Zhou if he had ties to China despite his clear statements that he was a native of Singapore and did not have ties to the country.
In March 2024, a push for the ban gained traction and Congress came up with a bill to ban TikTok if they could not sell to a U.S-owned company. As word of the bill spread, many creators who used the app came to Washington D.C. to protest it. Many creators have small businesses on the app and are getting their main source of income from it. Others use it to educate people and express themselves. A ban could impact people’s lives and even leave many unemployed.
Despite the efforts of creators, the ban was implemented on January 19, 2025, with users receiving a message stating they couldn’t use it. This didn’t last long, however, as President Trump extended the deadline of the ban. TikTok voiced its support for the president despite the fact that he threatened to ban the app in 2020. The use of TikTok in the U.S. is now very uncertain.
So does the ban make sense? While TikTok does pose some serious security issues, such as being able to access personal information, many feel there are more pressing problems in the U.S. for the government to focus on and, TikTok should not be a main concern. For many, TikTok is not just a form of entertainment–it’s a platform that has created opportunities and communities for millions. A ban takes away what is an outlet for creativity and on a more serious note, some creator’s careers.
Edited by – Shokhjakhon Samiev