12 Hours Without Tik Tok
By: Eliya Alvidrez, Skyline Editor
ALPINE - And just like that on January 18th, all 170 million TikTok users in the United States were no longer able to access the application. But the next day, President Trump flip flopped and reversed the order against the Chinese-owned company.
The app opened with a message saying “A law banning TIkTok has been enacted in the U.S.” After the company voluntarily shut their services down, users everywhere were in shock and confused about what to do next. The app was also taken off of Apple and Google Play stores and no longer available for download or updates. By the next morning, TikTok was back up and running due to President Trump issuing an executive order that enabled TikTok to continue being used for an extension of 75 days.
The rumor of TikTok disappearing has been ongoing for years. The main concerns that the app brought on included data privacy concerns, security risks, and government and military restrictions. With TikTok being owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, there was no control over what the app could possibly be collecting about its users behind the screens. If ties were not cut with the China-based company, the possibility of a ban could happen, and it most certainly did. Trump stated that he wanted “the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” to continue allowing use of the app within our country.
TikTok challenged this by arguing that the First Amendment of the US constitution asserting that the measure violates freedom of speech and expression. The argument continues to be whether the national security risks trump First Amendment Rights. With technology and social media use increasing quickly, this creates a huge debate in the digital era.
TikTok has become a part of people’s everyday routine in today's world. The use of the app varies across all platforms such as education, big and small businesses, health and exercise, sports, and so many more. Creators use their platform to communicate and connect with others not only around the country, but around the world.
