The beginning of 2025 has been very eventful, especially in the media world. One of the biggest media issues is the U.S. TikTok ban that was set in motion after the Supreme Court upheld a ruling banning TikTok in the U.S.
After months in court, the Supreme Court went head-to-head with TikTok and the final decision was issued to ban the app on Jan. 19. That weekend, the app went dark with a special message for users.
“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.”
This caused over 170 million U.S. TikTok users to panic, thinking that TikTok would be gone forever. However, the message also explained that TikTok would be working with President Donald Trump to reinstate the app.
Luckily, on the same day the app was banned, the servers for the app came back and Trump confirmed that he will sign a 90-day extension. However, on Trump’s Inauguration Day, he changed this narrative, only giving TikTok a 75-day extension instead.
This has brought the TikTok community both relief and joy, but we are left with a lingering question: Is the beloved app truly back?
Although TikTok is flooded with “we’re back” videos and excitement from the app’s users, this revival is not the full truth.
Despite receiving a 75-day extension, TikTok is not fully out of danger. An important caveat to TikTok’s lifespan in the U.S. is Apple and Google’s inability to place the app back in their app stores. Apple and Google face fines when attempting to add TikTok back to their app stores, eliminating access to the app for the people who deleted it in preparation for the U.S. ban.
The 75-day extension is actually a sales window during which ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, must sell the app to a U.S. company. A secondary solution could be the U.S. Government acquiring a 50% ownership stake of the wildly popular app. This idea was proposed after a public offering of $300 billion or more.
Trump gave a 75-day extension instead of the 90 days because he is confident that a solution will happen soon, especially now that ByteDance is willing to entertain selling the app after they refused to in court.
Should the TikTok app have ever been threatened with a ban? As a TikTok user myself, I believe the ban not only violates freedom of speech but also takes away over 170 million American voices.
TikTok is also a popular avenue for marketing, advertising and news. The app is so much more than just dance, trends and funny videos, it’s about fueling the creativity of people across the world.
I love posting videos about films and shows. These videos give me an opportunity to share my perspective while pushing me out of my comfort zone. I am looking forward to the day when the TikTok crisis has passed and it is just another story about life in the U.S.
Peter Caram is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].
