By Jake Reed
Ever since merging with Musical.ly in 2018, TikTok has become a household name worldwide. The social media app is responsible for all the latest trends and the majority of a high schooler’s screen time.
ByteDance, a Chinese internet technology company, grew the app to over one billion monthly users. Their development of an algorithm that used machine learning to create a personalized “for you” page for each user can be credited for the widespread popularity but also for the sense of worry.
The United States Supreme Court ruled that a nationwide ban would be enacted on January 19th, 2025, due to national security concerns for data privacy and ByteDance’s resistance to divestiture (selling the app).
"There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community," the court said in its decision. "But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary. (Rhoden-Paul)”
Politics were already in a heavy shift with the transition from former president Joe Biden to Donald Trump, who advocated for TikTok. Furthermore, with many users longing for the app back, Trump was being called a hero, reviving TikTok that very same day, one day before his inauguration. Ironically, Trump is the one to step in, considering that he proposed the same ban in 2020, but he does provide reasoning for his change of heart.
“You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points and there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with it,” Trump said in a post-election news conference in December referencing the 2024 election. (Burga)
Sure enough, the app welcomed back all its users with a message thanking Trump for his efforts. The plan is that the United States will own 50% of the company, creating what Trump referred to as a “joint venture” that could assist the United States economically, as well as in terms of national security and data protection.
There are debates about whether this decision was made too hastily, but in reality, it was preventing a greater evil. The banning of TikTok in India, in June 2020, resulted in the creation of multiple duplicate apps. In August 2020, Instagram Reels was released for the first time exclusively in India. YouTube Shorts was also one of the big names added to the mix due to the Indian government's endorsement of the “Innovation Challenge” to build local versions of the banned apps (Chow) .
Though it might seem like a good alternative, the censorship in India just increased, worsening the situation. The US would be in the same predicament beginning with Lemon8 and CapCut, two more media platforms that have been banned due to their association with ByteDance. The introduction of the first widely recognized alternative to TikTok Rednote, another Chinese-owned social platform, allows uncertainties to arise. A quick migration could be unsafe, as we are unsure of a company’s motives.
Looking ahead, students are excited to see their favorite social media platform back in action and anticipate any news on whether its stay is permanent.
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