A proposal to ban the popular social media app TikTok has been approved. With almost 150 million users (nearly half of the population in the United States as of 2024), the app has become a staple in the lives of many, particularly younger Americans. With short videos that can last just a few seconds, the app became popular due to personalization of the “for you page” which generates an almost infinite sequence of short videos tailored to one’s past viewing history and liked videos. The app originally gained popularity as a dancing app (Musical.ly), but has evolved in recent years as a platform for all uses such as sports content, celebrity influence, unique stories, and even food recommendations. Landon Rucker, a 10th grade student at Corona del Mar High School, believes that “the personalization of content that the app provides is unrivaled to other platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. The algorithm has a way of keeping people on the app for extended periods of time, whether one wants to interpret that as good or bad.” In August of 2020, President Donald Trump requested to ban the media platform or have it sold; however, courts denied his request. He has since taken a step back on his initial stance, stating, “a ban on TikTok would “double the business” of “Facebook and Zuckerschmuck,” referring in a derogatory way to Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire CEO of Facebook parent company and TikTok competitor Meta. On March 10th, there was a revival of Trump’s proposal by lawmakers, and the Biden administration has backed the request. TikTok representatives believed that American citizens’ First Amendment rights would be violated. Additionally, they believed that small businesses who use the platform to promote business would suffer. On March 13th, the United States House of Representatives voted to either ban the platform, or have TikTok be sold to a company within the United States in the next 6 months. Rucker added that, “since many people find TikTok to be a considerable component to their lives, it will be interesting to see if this is the end of the social media platform. I hope a resolution is made, as many small businesses and creators would be effected.” Legally speaking, the proposal to ban the popular social media platform will likely lead to a major lawsuit as ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, had previously sued the Trump Administration in 2020.

Information contained in this article is from:

CBS “A Bill that Could Lead to a TikTok Ban is Gaining Momentum in Congress. Here’s What to Know”

CNN “House passes bill that could lead to US ban of TikTok”