On Jan. 19 President Joe Biden’s bid to ban TikTok is set to go into effect, but what does that mean for its millions of American users?
If the current owner, ByteDance, does not sell the app to an American company, TikTok will become an illegal app to download, forcing sites like Google and Apple to no longer provide it on any app store. This also means the app will become unusable as it can no longer update or receive any bug fixes. Currently, TikTok updates every few days to fix issues and provide a correct algorithm for its users. Without these updates, TikTok will cease to exist as the app will continue to crash on all of its users. This ban may lead to shutdowns of other Bytedance apps like Lemon8 and CapCut.
The reason TikTok is undergoing these legal repercussions is due to Bytedance being a Chinese company that has been collecting personal data from all of its users, data that could be potentially harmful if used against the United States.
Nevertheless, there’s a very big issue with taking away an app as influential as TikTok. Many Americans believe it is taking away their right to freedom of speech. It has also been one of the most popular social media apps for years, making its loss very impactful on Gen Z as it was a main source of communication across the globe.
However, new apps are already gaining popularity as replacements for TikTok. Currently, the biggest contender is the app Red Note, which ironically is also owned by a foreign company.
Still, there can be many positives found in light of the ban. Many find TikTok highly addictive, so, without it, room will be left for newfound time and opportunities.
“I think I’m going to be a lot happier when TikTok is gone. Yes, people will be sad for about a week, but then I think we will realize how much better off we are without it,” junior Anna McCann said.
