TikTok gained fast popularity and became a daily source of entertainment, connections and learning experiences for people. After years of talk, TikTok being banned became a reality on Jan. 18. Hours before the declared time of banning, the app was shut off for the U.S. leaving students with mixed emotions.
The ban was the result of a privacy concern due to suspicion of the China based company, ByteDance, stealing users’ data. This led to Biden signing the “Protecting American from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” in April 2024. However, it was said that the ban would not happen if the Tiktok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, sold the app to a non-China based company. The CEO refused to do so which led to the official date of TikTok banning to arise, Jan. 18, 2025 at midnight.
The day of the ban, users received messages warning that the ban was near. By 10 p.m. Tiktok was not able to be used across the U.S.
Senior Michelle Zamora admitted she was both shocked yet not surprised by the ban.
“My reaction was disbelief because they’ve been saying it’s gonna happen so like it’s gonna be the same thing like always,” Zamora said.
While others were frustrated that the ban was rumoured for years, freshman Emiliana Morales, had different feelings about it.
“I had mixed feelings, I felt like it was a good thing done in a bad way. If we were to get rid of social media it should be all to make the community better,” Morales said.
For many users they may have been upset, but sophomore Valeria Corcuera had looked at the upside of the situation.
“At first, I didn’t believe it, but when I kept trying and it still wouldn’t work, I realized it was real. Honestly, I felt both happy and sad. I knew deleting it would help me focus more on school,” Corcuera said.
Students not only had mixed feelings as to how and when the ban occurred, but also the reasoning behind it. Many had believed the ban was more than just data safety.
“I was aware of it, and there’s a lot of American owned companies that do that as well, so why does it bother them so much? I thought it was stupid,” Zamora said.
“I disagreed with it because I felt like they were banning it for interest rather than for good reason. Like I felt like they were being biased because it was by a company that is not a part of the U.S. and they should’ve banned other social media platforms,” Morales said.
Besides the political and economic reasoning of the ban, the other student took note of the distraction aspect TikTok may provide and agreed with the decision.
“I think it could be good for some people who need a break,” Corcuera said.
Nonetheless, the app was back up in just 12 hours allowing U.S. users to begin scrolling once again. When users opened the app, a new message appeared declaring President Trump had lifted the ban.
While Tik Tok is back users are left with the curiosity if the platform will stay forever or be banned once again in the future. One thing for certain is that the popular app has made a difference in people’s lives and the ban exemplified that.
