On 18 January, 2025, The United States of America deleted TikTok over fears around Chinese propaganda and data collection.
Many users had their video-scrolling suddenly interrupted, only to be greeted with a message saying: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
Some 14 hours after the ban, TikTok was back online, almost like it had never left. President Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension, marking it as one of the shortest bans in the 21st century.
As TikTok faces another potential ban in the US, millions of Gen Z users cling to the app, using it not only for entertainment but also as a powerful tool to protest against governmental decisions.
Why is the US banning TikTok in the first place?
US officials fear that the Chinese government could manipulate content and gain access to sensitive user data through the app, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance—a technology company operating a range of content platforms.
US officials have repeatedly warned that TikTok threatens national security, claiming that the Chinese government could use it as a device to spy on Americans or covertly influence the US public by amplifying or suppressing certain content.
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By GlobalDataThe concern is that if China has a view into TikTok’s algorithm or business operations, it could pressure the company to shape what users see on the platform. The Chinese government could theoretically remove content through censorship or push preferred content and propaganda to users. As a result, this could lead to enormous repercussions for future elections, policymaking, and other democratic discourse.
FBI Director Christopher Wray told House Intelligence Committee members last year that the Chinese government could compromise American’s devices through the software. There is a fear that if the Chinese government gets its hand on that information, it’s not just a security threat but a personal threat as well.
The influential impact of TikTok
TikTok is now huge among Gen Z users. But before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was a relatively unknown social platform reserved for dances, memes, and lip-sync videos. Once the pandemic and the eventual lockdown hit in 2020, TikTok exploded in popularity, changing the culture of the app.
TikTok became a cultural phenomenon, especially among teenagers. Its influence extends beyond just a popular social media platform and has had a significant impact on various aspects of teenagers’ lives, including their mental health.
TikTok provides a space for users to share their talents, showcase their unique personalities, and experiment with different forms of content creation. Furthermore, the influential impact of TikTok is undeniable. It has reshaped how we consume and engage with content, allowing for greater creativity, self-expression, and community.
The impact of its ban
The prospect of a TikTok ban has already scared many users, with some feeling heartbroken. Alix Earle, a user with more than eight million followers on the platform, posted an emotional video ahead of the shutdown, saying; “I feel like I’m going through heartbreak. This platform is more than an app or a job to me. I have so many memories on here. I have posted every day for the past six years of my life.”
Many high-profile TikTok users have sought to find alternative avenues to connect with their fan base. Some are now turning to other social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Snapchat.
A ban that ignited protest
Some users protest to intimidate the US government by turning to Chinese platforms. RedNote, a Chinese lifestyle platform known as Xiaohongshu in its home market, experienced a surge in users, with the platform’s daily active users in the US jumping from fewer than 700,000 to approximately 3.4 million in a single day.
Justin Huang, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan who studies social media, says, “They were looking for an action that would express a lot of that frustration.”
This shows how far users will go to defend TikTok. The platform helps people learn about themselves, showcase their unique personalities, and be accepted as part of a community. Although it might be understandable why US officials fear TikTok, the platform has entertained countless users, with many expressing how it has changed their lives.
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