By Eileen Lee, Contributing Writer

“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.” This message flashed on my screen as I opened the app. It was January 19, and Congress had banned TikTok, a wildly popular video-sharing app. 

According to CBS, 170 million people use TikTok in the U.S. For Generation Z and millennials, TikTok is a community. When asked what makes TikTok so engaging, Lexi Pascucci ’26 said that the app’s “casualness” lets her “share and reach out” across the globe. Amanda He ’26, mentioned that TikTok “makes her happy” and allows her to “connect with [her] friends in a way [she] could not on other social media platforms.” When asked whether they agreed with the TikTok ban, both resolutely replied, “No!”

 Why did Congress ban TikTok in the first place? CBS cites Rep. Michael McCaul’s (R-Texas) comparing TikTok to a “spy balloon in Americans’ phones.” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) warned, “Rivers of data are being collected and shared in ways that are not well-aligned with American security interests.” Supporters of banning TikTok argued that the Chinese government could force ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to hand over user data. However, some argued that no obvious proof has been presented that TikTok has shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government.

If TikTok had remained banned, would the potential security risk be solved? Since the news of TikTok’s ban broke out, some users have turned to other social media, such as Snapchat or even other Chinese apps, like Xiaohongshu, to fill the void left by TikTok. Other users were still able to access TikTok via VPNs. Banning TikTok would not be an effective and permanent solution to security concerns.

While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in TikTok v. Garland that the ban is constitutional, the Trump administration put the ban on hold. President Donald Trump said, “Extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.” The government pressured ByteDance to sell the app to an American buyer under the threat of a ban. However, an agreement to acquire TikTok has not yet been reached. The future of TikTok still remains uncertain as the new TikTok ban deadline approaches in early April 2025. 

A better solution than banning the popular app exists. For example, the non-profit Public Knowledge suggests that the United States should pass a comprehensive privacy law, as well as create an expert agency that focuses on antitrust enforcement, regulation, and other guardrails. Furthermore, NPR reports on a strategy to revive Project Texas—a national security agreement in which Austin-based Oracle hosts all U.S. user data. The company would oversee all data between TikTok in the U.S. and Beijing with a “kill switch,” allowing the federal government to shut TikTok down if the agreement is violated.

With an increasing amount of personal data being shared on social media platforms, data privacy and security concerns are not limited to TikTok. Rather than banning TikTok, we need comprehensive measures that apply to all tech companies to protect people’s privacy online. Social media connects people across the globe through free expression. It can and must remain open—and safe. ☐