The end of an era?
That’s what the future may hold for one of the world’s most popular apps and for millions of users.
Since its launch in 2016, the video-sharing platform has grown worldwide and has led to the rise of various trends and cultural movements as one of the top social media apps today.
But over the past four years, controversies have popped up that have brought about calls for the app to be restricted or even banned. Worries about national security, bias, and overall privacy have put TikTok at the center of a heated political debate, with U.S. lawmakers pushing for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or otherwise face a nationwide ban.
Eventually, a bill was approved by Congress and signed by then-president Joe Biden, thus creating an uncertain future for the app in the United States. A mass exodus of “refugees” quickly ensued in search of other options, including RedNote, as a form of protest against the act.
This all came to a head on January 18; at around 9:30 p.m., when TikTok suspended operations and services for all U.S. users. Those using the app faced an error message that their service was not available. At the same time, it was taken down on Google Play and Apple stores.
Recently, a couple of students shared their reactions to the ban. Evelyn Paucar, 19, from Johnston, is currently majoring in cybersecurity. She said that she had TikTok, but deleted it when it got banned.
“I didn’t really care too much, to be honest. I feel like nowadays every app has its short-form content, even LinkedIn.” She goes on to say, “I know people use it as their way of expressing their creativity and such, I thought it [TikTok] was good.”
Jared Rockwood, a 19-year-old studying engineering at DMACC had similar thoughts:
“It was more, for me, just like ‘It is what it is’ kinda thing. I have other means of social media and stuff, but a lot of friends were freaking out about it, they were very upset.”
But, just under 24 hours later, Trump indicated that he would restore TikTok operations as long as it was distributed to an American company, paving the way for the app’s return. This was the case as those who still had the app found their service resumed. Consequently, on the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order that delayed the ban for 75 days.
As of writing this story, however, it and similar ones under the ByteDance name have not been available again on app stores, barring future attempts to re-download the app.
“So sad, but it’s fine,” Paucar said. “I do think someone’s gonna bring it back. I don’t know, some billionaire […] The videos I watched, at least, were mostly motivational and things like that. I know there’s a lot of brain rot there […] but, then again, it has its perks.”
Rockwood went on to say that security concerns are important in general, yet when it comes to TikTok, he doesn’t see it as a major concern in the bigger picture of information security.
“I think it’ll be fine,” he said. “It’s annoying and it sucks for a lot of people, but it’s not gonna be the end of the world if it does happen. We lived without TikTok before, we’ll be fine without it again.”
As TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, its impact on digital culture is undeniable. Whether through a sale, legal issues, or the possibility of new competitors, the outcome of this could reshape the social media landscape for years to come. Only time may tell what happens next.
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