Why the TikTok ban should piss you off!

This issue goes so far beyond losing the Jacob Elordi edits and cat videos.

As of January 19, 2025, TikTok will be shut down and no longer available for those of us living on US soil. (I am writing this January 18th, and even though many say “anything can happen,” it’s not looking too good). I have been putting off feeling anything specific about this issue as I did not think we would realistically be at this point. It’s only over the last couple of days I had a sense of urgency to protect my archive. Luckily, I didn’t have many videos that I had to save, just the occasional Challengers edits, the Joey King “I cannot wait to eat sum'in” and a plethora of cat videos. There were mainly videos that I had saved for later. Videos of how to edit photos, writing exercises, how to upload film into your camera, etc. Now, I am emo. Talking with my friend, I realized how things are so fleeting but how we thought we would have more time. Never did I think this was a realistic scenario we would find ourselves in as there are more important and pressing issues. The internet is an archive that theoretically lives forever, so that is why you should always be cautious of what type of things you’re posting. Recent events have shown us that the internet is not in fact forever.

The TikTok ban is an emotional issue for many reasons. Many users are content creators who find this as their main or only source of income. For others, it’s all just about a sense of community. Being online during the pandemic and seeing other people who were also scared but able to find hope and share that sense of humanity with others was what kept most of us sane during that time of uncertainty. Since then, it’s become a place where so many people have had a rise to fame, others a fall from grace but, overall an overwhelming amount of brain rot. This could be the reason why so many people aren’t taking the banning of this app seriously.

I've heard people say, "We survived the death of Myspace and Vine, so we will survive this," or "It's just an app, it's not that serious," but it is so much more than that. Not only is this not an accurate comparison but it’s also downplaying the real issue.

The Vine and Myspace comparison is not accurate for a couple of different reasons. The first is that the app's closure was a decision all on its own. When the founders of both Vine and Myspace announced they were shutting down, as much as we would not like to admit, the apps had already essentially died on their own. Users had moved on and found other platforms to create and explore content and the number of users who were frequently using the app had dropped significantly. The closure of both platforms was a financial decision more than anything else. TikTok is not dying because users aren’t on the app, if anything TikTok is at its height of popularity not only for us everyday users but many businesses also have been flocking to the app to promote their brands. Creating for many companies a more personable image than ever before.

Reducing this issue to "things go away, and we'll be alright" is naive. The problem is that the government is essentially taking away our right to free speech, freedom of the press, and right to assembly. This ban is the first step in a direction, historically we have seen before. TikTok is so much more than just silly videos, for many people, it's an unbiased and ACCURATE news source. The conflict between Israel and Palestine is the biggest and most prevalent. As of now, there is a Ceasefire in place but before, many news stations were only publishing articles about the oppressor. Palestinians have been suffering for centuries and TikTok has helped amplify many of their voices and show what their reality is like. We have a right to talk about this issue and many issues like this and have been shown that on other platforms such as X, Instagram, and Facebook, these stories will be concealed or not be reached by the masses.

A lot of people have also been discussing why ByteDance, the current owner of the app, doesn’t sell to an American company. This is a provision within the bill that could help essentially save TikTok, but as the clock runs out, ByteDance still has yet to sell. Allegedly, Mark Zuckerberg has been accused of lobbying for this ban in hopes that people will then flock back to Meta apps such as Instagram, Threads, and Facebook. The Washington Post reported that Zuckerberg paid firm Targeted Victory to push the narrative that TikTok was dangerous for children. People are also speculating that these politicians have hopped on the ban wagon since they possibly have stock in Meta. This campaign has also seemingly distracted the public and lawmakers from the fact that Meta not only takes even more data than TikTok. Many people have shown their solidarity by restricting data access on Meta platforms or even deleting their accounts altogether. This is the most effective way to protest as you will never be able to EFFECTIVELY communicate a message to a billionaire unless you hit them where it hurts, their wallets.

Again, at this point, it looks like the decision will be final, but either way, if TikTok stays, don’t let the small victory stop you from fighting the fight in any way you can. If the ban goes through and the app is gone forever, don’t let this loss make you no longer want to use your voice. During this time, support your local libraries. It is more important now than ever to educate yourself.

We will be able to find community through this. No matter where you are, if you search for it, there will be like-minded people who will look out for you, you just have to search for it. Remember, the horrors persist, but so do we.