TikTok returned to the app store on Feb. 13, but why was it removed in the first place?
In 2020, Donald Trump first proposed a ban on TikTok, claiming it posed a national security risk. The app collects data on its users, data which the U.S. fears could be handed over to the Chinese government.
For over 170 million U.S. users, the app temporarily went dark on Jan. 19, 2025, but was back online the next day.
Recently, there was a 75-day hold on the ban until April 5, after President Trump issued an executive order delaying the ban’s enforcement. The app remained available outside the U.S. since the ban did not apply to other countries, although some countries have already banned the app.
The ban may be stopped entirely if TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, sells to a party not deemed a “foreign adversary” by the U.S. government. However, as of yet, ByteDance has no public plans to sell.
Other avenues for avoiding the ban include amending the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, by Congress and the Trump administration, which could allow ByteDance to retain ownership with increased oversight by lawmakers.
Support for the ban has declined in recent years. In the summer of 2024, approval for the ban dropped from 50% to 32%. Republicans are more likely to favor the ban compared to Democrats (42% vs. 24%).
Student opinions gathered at Seattle Central were mixed regarding the ban, with some arguing that the ban is unnecessary. Starry Keith, a student at Seattle Central College (SCC) said, “America is shooting itself in the foot [by banning TikTok].”
Keith also argues that the ban would not solve security problems between the U.S. and China. She believes the ban’s purported purpose of protecting national security is obfuscating its real intent: taking political organizing power away from civilians.
According to a Pew research study, one-third of TikTok users say the app is beneficial for democracy. Additionally, it serves as a major platform for circulating news. 52% percent of TikTok users say they regularly receive news from TikTok, which adds up to 17% of all Americans.
Keith questions the validity of the U.S. national security argument. When asked what she thinks of the U.S. government’s view that TikTok violates national security standards, she said it was “so funny,” because a ban would not have any real impact on national security.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “China does collect personal data on Americans and has been doing so for at least a decade, but there is no evidence that it has found a way to benefit from this.”
Tik Tok CEO Shou Chew stated in his testimony before the U.S. Congress on March 23, 2023, “The bottom line is this–American data stored on American soil by an American company overseen by American personnel. We call this initiative Project Texas, that’s where Oracle is located. Today, U.S. Tik Tok data is stored by default in American servers, only vetted personnel operating in a new company called Tik Tok U.S. data security can control access to this data.”
Gwen Hawkins, a student at Central, said this about TikTok: “I don’t believe that it poses a national security threat, but I do think that it poses an ability to come together and communicate with fellow citizens or just anybody living anywhere. It gives a big, wide net of connection that would otherwise not be there.”
The March 23, 2023, Congressional hearing debated the influence TikTok has over American kids and teenagers. Chew said that TikTok collaborated with the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, where the app prompts minors to take a break after 60 minutes of use.
Washington state representative Schrier retorted, “That is an opt-out…it is addictive. Like asking a chain smoker to not take the next cigarette–it’s not gonna happen. What is the percentage of teens who actually adhere to the 60-minute limit? I’m guessing it’s an incredibly low percentage.”
Olivia Atkinson, a professor at Seattle Central, said, “…we have decided to really kind of attack this ‘foreign Chinese company,’ when similar things have happened with American companies like Facebook and Instagram and Meta.”
China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law orders that citizens of the People’s Republic of China must assist the Chinese government in national intelligence efforts.
Senator Ted Cruz asked Chew if he was familiar with China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law. He said, “TikTok is owned by Bytedance–is Bytedance subject to the law?”
Chew said, “For the Chinese businesses that Bytedance owns, yes, they will be subject to this, but TikTok is not available in mainland China, and Senator, as we talked about in your office, we built Project Texas to put us out of reach.”
According to Texas Monthly, “Only some portions of Project Texas have been enacted–most notably the transference of all U.S. user data to Oracle’s cloud infrastructure, intended to keep user data from ever leaving the U.S.”
Trump’s decision to defer enforcement of the TikTok ban will allow Bytedance more time to find a new owner, despite Project Texas being an unlikely solution. The future of the app and its availability in the U.S. depends on how the government decides to regulate TikTok.
Ultimately, without a buyer or amendment to the law that originally banned TikTok, TikTok could again be removed after April 5. Despite its widespread popularity and ubiquitous status in U.S. culture, the possible national security risks posed by the app could prove too great for the U.S. government. Although the app is back for now, it is hard to know how long it might stay.
Author
Holly Brusse is a first-year student at Seattle Central College. Her interest in journalism started when she joined her high school newspaper during her sophomore year of high school. She enjoys writing on politics, music, and pop culture. Outside of school she enjoys listening to music, painting in watercolor, and spending time with her cat.
Ada Walther is a new writer at the Collegian who previously published stories for radio through Radioactive. She enjoys getting involved with community theater and hopes to direct a play someday soon. Ada is excited to be a part of Central's community as a college student after attending through Running Start.
Be First to Comment