by Siva Kathirvel (6th)
With the possible ban of TikTok in the US imminent, many people are wondering. Should it be banned? Today we will explore what TikTok is, why it’s getting banned, and the arguments for and against the ban.
First of all, what is TikTok? TikTok is a social media app where you share vertical short form videos. The app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. TikTok currently has 1 billion monthly active users. Released in 2016, in the 8 years the app has become a significant cultural influence on younger generations.
Okay, so why might it get banned? Well it’s because, because of the ownership of the app. Specifically the fact that the company is Chinese. Politicians claim that its Chinese influence is a threat to national security via propagand. They also believe that the app is spying on US citizens. Whether these are true or not is up to interpretation, but it seems that most politicians believe that these are real concerns.
That makes sense right? So what are the arguments that it shouldn’t be banned? Firstly, a ban on TikTok would make a lot of Americans upset because it drilled into their routine. Also, many people make their living by making TikTok content. Also banning TikTok could deteriorate freedom of speech in the US.
So that’s the situation. If you are worried about the ban, simply download a VPN and use that to download the app. Even with that solution, it is still a heavily contested topic. See you in the next article!