By: Jeremy Sun
Due to concerns that TikTok may expose sensitive user data and U.S. information, the U.S. is attempting to ban TikTok by removing it from app stores on January 19, 2025.
TikTok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance. According to the article “Why the U.S. Is Forcing TikTok to Be Sold or Banned” by Sapna Maheshwari and Amanda Holpuch from The New York Times, the U.S. is concerned that by using TikTok, ByteDance could access sensitive personal user data. ByteDance might leak U.S. user data to the Chinese government if the Chinese government forced them to.
The U.S. is also concerned that TikTok could spread misinformation among users, potentially impacting activities such as elections. Consequently, President Biden signed legislation mandating TikTok’s sale to a government-approved buyer before January 19, 2025. Failure to comply will result in TikTok being banned in the U.S.
The most straightforward way the U.S. is going to ban TikTok is by removing it from app stores. Until January 19, 2025, TikTok won’t be banned and will still be available. However, this ban on TikTok might not even occur because of legal challenges such as the First Amendment, as suggested by Caitlyn Chin, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The U.S. is trying its best to ban TikTok. As The New York Times states, “More than 30 states, and New York City, have joined the federal government in banning TikTok on government-issued devices. Many colleges have blocked it from campus Wi-Fi networks.”
TikTok indicated the U.S.’s ban as “political theater” and denounced the U.S. for endeavoring to censor Americans by banning TikTok. In addition, in May 2024, the United States government was sued by TikTok for enacting laws that went against the First Amendment. TikTok is also encouraging users to oppose the ban.
To protect your data and personal information on TikTok, you can take similar precautions as you would on other social media apps. For example, avoid granting apps permission to access your location or phone number. You can also watch TikTok anonymously.