TikTok, a social media platform for creating, uploading, viewing, sharing, and interacting with videos, was planned to be banned on January 19th, 2025. However, on January 20th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order suspending the ban for 75 days.
First launched in 2017, TikTok has over 170 million users in the United States and over a billion worldwide. TikTok is facing the U.S. ban due to concerns that the Chinese Government could be able to access user data through the app. TikTok uses a “For You” page, which shows the user videos based on what they interact with. “A TikTok user’s content feed is also shaped by content moderation and filtering decisions,” stated the Supreme Court ruling.
ByteDance owns the app, but Congress will issue a ban unless it’s sold to a government-approved buyer. President Trump’s order states that it will give ByteDance an extra 75 days to find an approved buyer. TikTok has also had a voice in the issue, saying that they would like it to be up to the state governments and believes lawmakers are trying to censor American citizens.
Currently, the app is no longer available for download and can only be used by users who kept it after the first ban was placed.
A couple of students at Lewiston High School also had input on the issue.
“I think it’s ridiculous. Why ban an app that everybody loves, and where businesses earn money? That could be their main source of income,” stated Hallie Lehman, a sophomore at Lewiston High School.
“I think it was a publicity stunt, which kind of makes it funny. I’m pretty neutral about it, I just think that it’s dumb” said Cadence Miller, a Junior at Lewiston High School.
