Editor’s Note: TikTok experienced an outage for American users the night of Jan. 18, but service resumed by the afternoon of Jan. 19.
As an avid Instagram Reels fan, I didn’t initially have a strong opinion about the TikTok ban either way. I’ve had TikTok of course, at different points — often downloading it to keep up with trends and then subsequently deleting it after hours of doom-scrolling. After waking from a trancelike state without any knowledge of the day or time but immense knowledge of Dixie D’Amelio’s love life, I ultimately decided something so addictive wasn’t for me.
However, that isn’t to say I don’t see the benefits. Clearly, an app with over 170 million American users has at least some positive features. A study from Oxford Economics indicates that Black, Latin and Asian/Pacific-Islander-owned businesses consider the app to be vital to their success, providing them with opportunities marginalized groups have historically been denied. The National Institute of Health wrote that TikTok has the unique ability for community-building, breaking the stigma of mental health and providing other health resources for underserved communities. The point is this: there are thousands of creators using their platforms for good. But does this outweigh the large national security concerns of the app as a whole?
Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding a ban on TikTok but has yet to issue a decision. If the ban goes into effect, it will be illegal to distribute the app in the U.S. Those who already have the app downloaded will still have access to it, but they will be unable to update the app, and the app will eventually become unusable. One of the ways the app could survive is if ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, sells its U.S. operations. Over the past month, several people and organizations have expressed interest in purchasing American shares of the platform.
Project Liberty, an organization led by billionaire Frank McCourt, announced that it has made a formal offer to ByteDance. Though, Elon Musk, YouTuber MrBeast and Walmart CEO Doug McMillion are also interested.
Those in favor of the ban believe the app poses a serious national security risk. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that ByteDance put sensitive user data, including location data, purchase data and other factors that go into TikTok’s algorithm, into the hands of the Chinese government. This data could be used to inform counterintelligence operations or influence our elections. Some national security advisors even argue that the data can be used to create AI-generated deepfakes of Americans.
Opponents of the ban claim it would infringe on First Amendment freedom of speech rights. TikTok users state that if the ban is enacted, they will “lose the most powerful mechanism available to make their voices heard.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states that the decision gives the president “unprecedented power to shut down Americans’ speech and access to information under the guise of protecting national security.” However, the Justice Department asserts that the law doesn’t infringe on freedom of expression because it targets TikTok’s control by a foreign adversary, which is speech outside of the scope of the First Amendment.
In my opinion, China is our most formidable adversary on the world stage. China’s technological and industrial power rivals our own and they pose a threat to the sovereignty of independent nations such as Taiwan and Hong Kong. If we want to protect our national security interests and are committed to opposing authoritarian regimes, supporting the TikTok ban is the best decision. And, while TikTok does provide positive benefits, I do not believe the ban would be an infringement of free speech, considering it is a foreign app not bound under the freedoms America provides. Additionally, the Supreme Court justices are very unlikely to disagree with the Department of Justice over national security concerns and, therefore, will likely rule in favor of the ban.
Now, does the ban mean an end to TikTok and its creators permanently? I would argue no. Many of the influencers made famous by TikTok will be able to continue producing content on YouTube and Instagram. And even if TikTok continued, fame and wealth gained by the app was never going to be sustainable. Trends are constantly evolving and people’s opinions are ever-changing as well. This is why many influencers have branched beyond TikTok by founding their own brands, creating podcasts, or publishing books. TikTok is not the sole reason for youth activism and mental health education — nor will it be the end. All of the wonderful things users love about TikTok will continue on other apps, in other forms.