TikTok Officially Banned—But Trump Could Change That
TikTok has been ordered to cut ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a sweeping nationwide ban, but there is an important question: How will incoming President Donald Trump respond?
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., upheld a ruling that hinged on national security risks and concerns over unrestricted data collection, stating that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok posed “significant implications” for the United States.
The decision, celebrated by the Biden administration, mandates the sale of the wildly popular app by January 19, 2025, or it will vanish from Google and Apple app stores nationwide.
Though TikTok argued in court that the ruling would violate the First Amendment rights of its 150 million U.S. users, the three-judge panel disagreed.
The court pointed to fears of potential interference by Beijing and ByteDance’s vast access to user data as critical factors in maintaining the government’s stance.
The clock is now ticking for ByteDance to divest TikTok, which has become a cultural centerpiece for younger generations.
However, appeals to the Supreme Court are likely, and incoming President Trump’s position could reshape the legal landscape entirely.
For Trump, TikTok’s precarious future has taken a strikingly personal turn.
Once a staunch adversary of the platform during his first term, he now counts himself among its most visible users.
Joining the app in mid-2024, Trump has garnered a staggering 14.6 million followers, pivoting to embrace the platform as a cornerstone of his campaign message.
At recent rallies, the president-elect promised to safeguard the app.
“For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump,” he declared. “The other side is closing it up, but I’m now a big star on TikTok.”
In another appearance, he doubled down on his newfound support, warning that TikTok’s competitors would gain the most from its removal.
“We’re not doing anything with TikTok, but the other side is going to close it up. So if you like TikTok, go out and vote for Trump.”
The Biden administration, citing TikTok’s data practices and potential content manipulation by the Chinese government, sees the platform’s ownership as a direct threat to national security.
If the ban follows through, Americans could see the gradual degradation of TikTok’s functionality rather than an immediate blackout, as app updates would cease under the mandated removal from U.S.-based digital marketplaces.