Should TikTok be Banned?

In today's society where social media is part of everyday life, the rapidly growing app TikTok has been the center of many disputes. TikTok is a popular social media platform used by millions of Americans. The app provides a community for users to express themselves in short videos. Whether TikTok should be banned or not has been controversial for years. The US government is focused on national security concerns while many users argue it infringes on their right to free expression. 

The timeline of the TikTok ban

In 2014 Musical.ly was released.  It was primarily used for dance and lip-syncing short videos. In 2018, it was sold and made into TikTok.  Attempts to ban the app started in 2020; with its popularity rising privacy concerns were also raised. The Trump administration made an effort to ban TikTok but its actions were unsuccessful. According to Tech Target, “In 2023 the Biden administration banned the app on devices used by federal employees.” In 2024 the National Security Act bill was signed by Biden which included Banning TikTok. The bill stated that the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, would have 9 months to find a new owner in the United States or an allied country. The deadline was set for January 9th. On January 8th, users who opened the app were left with the message “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately that means you can't use TikTok right now.” It was also removed from app stores. Not even a full day later an executive order was released by President Trump declaring that TikTok could continue operating in the U.S. for an extended 75 days. The divisions between users and government opinions make the future of TikTok uncertain. 

Reasons it should and shouldn't be banned

National Security Concerns

As a Chinese company, ByteDance is required to share data with China. ByteDance can release data when countries request; reports indicate a high amount of requests for data with over 13,000 from the beginning of 2024. This poses a large national security threat because ByteDance could provide China with important American data that can be used against us.  According to CNN, the data collected includes:

• Videos watched

• Private messages

• Comments

• Log-in information (for example email, phone number, age, etc.)

• Uploads

• Browsing history

The Chinese Communist Party could also manipulate content to expose Americans to propaganda that could influence their opinions.  

Mental health

Despite TikTok being well known for its toxicity and negative effects on mental health there are also several benefits on mental health. This is true on other social media apps as well. However, there are overwhelming negative effects. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance states, “Growing research has found the more time a person spends on social media, the more likely they will experience mental health symptoms such as anxiety, isolation, and hopelessness.” a significant percentage of TikTok users are 12 - 17, and social media can often create insecurity in teens through constant comparison and unrealistic standards. This can increase depression and isolation among teens. TikTok can be a generally negative environment. It's common to encounter hate comments or negative videos daily. 

Safety is also a major concern.  TikTok has settings in place for protecting children under 13 by preventing them from receiving private messages or going viral; this does not guarantee protection. TikTok is full of adult content that is easily accessible and online  Predators can easily communicate with underage users on the platform. 

Suggestions to stay safe on TikTok:

Set your account to private so you can approve all followers

Turn off private messaging and comments on videos. 

If someone messages you who you don’t know, do not respond.

To protect yourself from inappropriate content, find trusted creators to follow and watch TikTok on the “Following” page rather than “For you” 

Turn off location settings.

Be mindful of everything you share. Remember to use the acronym 'THINK:'

• Truthful: Is what I’m sharing truthful?

• Harmful: Is what I'm sharing harmful to myself or others?

• Inspiring: is what I'm sharing uplifting and positive?

• Necessary: Is this necessary to share?

• Kind: Is what I'm sharing kind and respectful?

TikTok has become a platform with many potential mental benefits. TikTok can increase knowledge about mental health conditions by allowing people to share their experiences and relate to others. Other benefits include self-discovery that you wouldn't have learned otherwise. TikTok creates safe communities to talk about mental health and can make teens feel they are not alone and find others like them. During the pandemic, TikTok was crucial for kids experiencing social isolation from online school, and TikTok provided a social outlet for students experiencing this. As long as users are safe and aware of potential misinformation, TikTok is a valuable tool for raising awareness and providing a safe space for open conversations about mental health conditions.

Potential Investors

While the Company ByteDance expressed that it does not plan on selling, there are many potential investors. TikTok is predicted to be worth about 100-200 billion dollars. TikTok could be sold for 30-40 billion because TikTok would likely not sell its algorithm. TikTok algorithm is a crucial part of the app's popularity. Suppose that Without it, Americans would be disconnected from other countries. Only a limited number of people can afford Tiktok, but many joint-owned ideas have been put into place.   Elon Musk is a potential buyer as being one of the richest people in the world. Although he has expressed he was against the ban even if it could be beneficial to his app X, he said he had no plans on buying it or no plans regarding what he would do if he owned it. Jimmy Donaldsons (Mr. Beast)  name has come up multiple times. He expressed interest through posts on social media. He says, “I just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires; TikTok, we mean business,” Jimmy will most Likely team with investors to make a bid. It is still not clear whether this will happen or not. Many other people/companies are considering or have put offers out, but it is too soon to tell the outcome

Freedom of speech

The debate about the TikTok ban focuses on freedom of speech vs. national security.  Many people argue that it is partly to protect Americans from Chinese propaganda, but this could be considered blocking Americans from seeing things that the government doesn't like. The ACLU says, “Banning TikTok is unprecedented, unconstitutional, and un-American. If the Supreme Court allows the government to shut down an entire platform on such a flimsy evidentiary record, it will set a disturbing precedent for future government restrictions on online speech.” What this means is that without a sufficient amount of evidence to back up their claims about is that if the government can ban an app in the future, they could continue to suppress free speech. 

The court says that the ban is not there to limit free speech but to protect American data. To protect us it will restrict some free speech. The government thinks national security should over rights first amendment rights. The government is also not blocking people from expressing themselves; it is just preventing them from doing it on TikTok, Tok where data can be shared with the Chinese government. It was ruled The ban on TikTok does not violate freedom of speech.

Overall, both arguments are strong and depend on whether the right to free speech comes with the potential risk of TikTok spreading user data.  

Ultimately, the issue doesn't have one clear or “right” answer. TikTok poses a threat to national security by collecting significant amounts of data. Many argued that it violates First Amendment rights by limiting what American viewers can see. Mental health can be impacted by negative and unsafe videos, comments, and messages, which conversely is improved by providing a community to learn and discuss mental health as long as used correctly. Both arguments have an equal impact; it depends on what each person feels is more valuable to them. With TikTok's price being so high it limits the number of potential owners. Overall, the banning of TikTok depends on the delicate balance of protecting free speech and national security and considering the mental health impacts TikTok holds on users.