As Americans woke up on January 19, the wildly popular social media app TikTok was suddenly inoperable. This sudden accessibility issue results from a U.S. law by a bipartisan majority in Congress last year, banning foreign-owned TikTok from being used within the country. The U.S. Supreme Court confirmed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act will declare any company offering services to distribute, maintain, or update the social media platform TikTok unlawful unless U.S. operation of the platform is administered separately from Chinese control; otherwise ruling in favor of legally shutting down TikTok within the U.S.
TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, has been a main concern for U.S. officials. With ByteDance developing the video-sharing app TikTok, the Chinese technology company headquartered in Beijing according to The New York Times can potentially hand over sensitive U.S. user data. This opportunity to give out U.S. user data such as location outlines the continuous demand for U.S. data from Chinese companies and citizens for intelligence-gathering operations. These fears understandably increase the importance of ensuring that TikTok’s U.S. operations remain independent from Chinese control.
As 170 million Americans experienced a nationwide shutdown of the well-known platform, an extended deadline for ByteDance to sell the video creation app welcomed users back around noon on Sunday. In a post on Truth Social, the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced plans to issue an executive order following his inauguration, which would help extend the app’s longevity before any nationwide ban occurs. There has been no progress or announced executive orders as of 6:00 p.m. Monday, January 20. Despite the app being online again, the future of TikTok in America is unknown, leaving serious decisions in the face of Trump, as he took office today.
What happened to the app?
TikTok was temporarily banned on the night of January 18 and into January 19. Trump vowed to save TikTok by publicly announcing the consideration of enforcing a 90-day extension. With that being said, early on Sunday, Trump also said he would issue an executive order following the inauguration to delay enforcement of the divest-or-ban law. With his verbal promises, the app has been temporarily reactivated.
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at,” Trump told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in a phone interview. “The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate.”
At 12:27 p.m. on Jan. 19, TikTok confirmed via a statement on X that it was actively working to restore service to its 170 million U.S. users. TikTok users who didn’t delete the app were greeted with a pop-up message when logging back onto the app.
“Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support,” a pop-up message on TikTok reads. “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”
Trump is in favor of keeping TikTok due to the benefits it provided for his presidential campaign. While a 90-day extension is not guaranteed, many Americans hope that the now 47th president will permanently bring TikTok back.
What happened/is happening in the court?
In Per Curiam, or of a court in unanimous agreement on January 17, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act makes it illegal for companies in the United States to provide services to maintain, distribute, or update the social media platform TikTok unless U. S. operation of the platform is disconnected from Chinese control as of January 19. Instead, TikTok went offline in the United States Saturday night, about two hours before the ban was scheduled to go into effect.
According to CBS News, U.S. officials are concerned about the Chinese government using TikTok as a source to spy on American users, which is a threat considering the 170 million American users utilizing the app.
The proposed law passed by Congress back in April, also known as the divest-or-ban law, gave TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, until January 19 to divest from the app or be removed from app stores in the U.S. While TikTok attempted to challenge the ban, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected it. The Supreme Court claims that the prohibition of the widely used app does not violate the First Amendment of free speech, which users have been arguing since the law took effect as stated in an article by CBS News. There is no guarantee that the app will continue to run, considering the choice to decline or approve the law is with Trump and his executive order as he is sworn into office.
What’s the impact on users?
With over 170 million U.S. users, TikTok is one of the most used social media platforms in the world. For many, TikTok is a creative space where users can express themselves through videos, music, and art. With the app being temporarily banned between the late hours of January 18 and during part of the day on January 19, users across the country are currently unable to download TikTok on the Apple app store and Google app store. In addition, the app will no longer be available for updates on the App Store for users in the United States as of January 19.
Due to the perceived long-term ban, users across the country filled TikTok with emotional farewell videos and sentimental drafts in anticipation of the ban on Saturday. When the app shut down late Saturday evening, around 10:30 p.m. ET, many users within the U.S. turned to platforms like X and Instagram to express disappointment as a result of the early shutdown.
What is the impact on content creators?
According to Social Blade’s latest data, there are approximately 1.3 million TikTok creators in the world. With TikTok being released in September 2016, the platform is used to connect, share moments, and engage with their community. The app’s departure could disrupt these social bonds, especially for creators and influencers who built large followings over time.
For instance, those who are considered a content creator may rely on the platform to make a living. As reported by TikTok Content Creator Statistics, among U.S. users aged 18 to 24, 8% identified themselves as full-time creators, while 15% considered themselves part-time creators. Therefore, losing the app could severely impact one’s life which revolves around an app like TikTok.
Those who have over 1 million followers on TikTok alone earn between $1,000 and $5,000 monthly, while those with 100,000 followers earn between $200 and $1,000. For someone like American social media personality and dancer Charli D’Amelio, who reportedly earns over $100,000 per TikTok post, the platform is a major source of income. The loss of the app could seriously make or break one’s career pathway as well as financial status.
What’s Next for TikTok?
While it is unknown what the future of TikTok holds, continuous updates from a multitude of professional news outlets are informing users of new updates. As of now, the foreseeable forthcoming is in the hands of the now 47th President, Donald Trump.
