‘Renegade’ away?: The rundown of the latest TikTok ban threats

BY KAMDYN ROHER

When the mobile app TikTok was first released in 2016, originally as Musical.ly, no one expected the app to become as popular as it is now. In 2020, it is one of the most popular apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, with over 800 million users worldwide and a staggering 165 million in the United States alone. But recently, the notorious app has faced some backlash from the U.S. government, with President Donald Trump sparking debates with threats to ban the app altogether. 

The app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which also owns many other social media platforms worldwide. Over the past few years, the relationship between the U.S. and China has become increasingly strained. As a result, TikTok being owned by a Chinese company is the main source of argument against the app. 

According to the Trump administration, ByteDance is in cohorts with the Chinese Communist Party and is sending them its American users’ information and details, endangering national security. With this notion in mind, Trump is adamant that making TikTok inaccessible to Americans is only to ensure their safety. 

Like an immovable force, Trump is uncompromising in removing the Chinese from the equation and he wants TikTok to instead be owned by an American-based company. But ByteDance is only organized in China, not directly operated there, meaning that there are U.S.-based operations. 

Despite this, there is speculation among critics that the president may have some ulterior motives for pushing the ban. 

Despite this, there is speculation among critics that the president may have some ulterior motives for pushing the ban. 

Back in June, Trump had organized a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma with attendance registration available online. In the weeks before the event, teens across America RSVP’d and secured seats in the arena as a form of going against the campaign. Hundreds of thousands of tickets went unaccounted for with their owners not showing up to the rally. This plan was devised on TikTok, where most evidence has since been deleted. 

Some believe that this failed rally is what stemmed the President’s initial hatred and resentment toward TikTok. 

On August 6, Trump issued an executive order that will begin the banning process, fully prohibiting the use of the app in the nation. He has declared that the app will be removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and become banned if it is not sold to an American company. 

TikTok is not pleased with this course of action.

Some believe that this failed rally is what stemmed the President’s initial hatred and resentment toward TikTok. 

On September 18, TikTok filed a lawsuit against President Trump, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross Jr. and the U.S. Department of Commerce. TikTok claims that the ban is unconstitutional and is out of Trump’s power. The company argues that the order violates the first and fifth amendments of the Constitution, inhibiting their freedom of expression and denying them due process. 

In order to remain a present force in America, a potential deal between TikTok, Walmart and Oracle is said to be in the works.

As a result of this development, the Trump administration has pushed back the ban order from Sunday, September 20 to Sunday, September 27. If the deal falls through, the ban will officially be enacted.

This whole situation has escalated from a seemingly innocent prank to an intense legal war involving multiple organizations and governments. The next few weeks will determine the fate of the renowned app, ending its usage in America or allowing it’s continued influence over the nation. 

Photo courtesy of Forbes