Tiktok Ban: Why?

By: Zenami Vision and Noah Shacket

TikTok, a social media platform, faces a threat that introduces a potential shutdown of the platform used by over 170 million users, including staff and students at MS447. This drastic legislation could potentially change the lives of those who use this platform to spread information, seek help, or escape reality.

Aysun O’Keefe, 7th grade ELA teacher said,  “I believe that banning TikTok is a step in the right direction, especially for school-age children. At this critical stage in their lives, they need to focus on their education and academic growth. Social media platforms like TikTok can often be distracting, consuming valuable time and diverting attention away from studies.”  

The bill was passed on March 21st, 2024 by senators. At this time in late April, Joe Biden was tempted to ban TikTok. Senators stated, 

“The legislation is not about banning TikTok, it’s making a transition from the current control by the Communist Party of China (CCP) to another owner. And frankly, there are a lot of American investors in TikTok and ByteDance (The owner of TikTok) and they could roll into the ownership structure.” Seemingly, the concern is not with TikTok itself, but the Chinese Cooperation Party having access to the information of users. 

 However, banning TikTok won’t be easy. If TikTok was banned, people would rebel and protest. 10 million people in D.C. are already protesting in the streets and online. After all, TikTok is incredibly helpful in many ways. For example, during the pandemic, TikTok helped spread information about safety concerns, health practices, etc. Through the TikTok shop, many businesses were able to get sales, and gain popularity. An ironic part of this is that government officials, lawyers, cops, and more use TikTok daily to inform people about the law. Some are even trying to justify the ban using it. TikTokers also helped solve a crime by collaborating with police to find a missing person. 

Tiktok has been attacked in the past as well. For example, former president Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok during the pandemic. This is because he deemed it to be a threat to national security. Furthermore, Congress has passed an act that requires ByteDance to sell Tiktok within a year. It’s now on its way to President Joe Biden’s opinion on the ban and signature.