TikTok has played a major role in people’s daily lives since its release in 2016. Many people are devastated by the potential ban of the platform in the United States and what that will mean for the future of the app. The reason at the heart of the matter is TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and its alleged ties to the Chinese government. Critics, including U.S. officials and tech experts, worry that the app could be used to collect sensitive user data, posing a national security risk. This concern has led to hearings in the Supreme Court and discussions in Congress.
On Sunday, January 19, the night before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, TikTok went dark. When people tried to open the app they were faced with an error message. Less than 24 hours later the app was back up and working but some people who weren’t patient deleted it and could not get it back. “I thought the app was gone forever and decided to delete it,” said Ava Hahn ‘25 “I’m pretty upset that I deleted it, but life goes on and it’s probably for the best because I am kinda addicted, but Instagram reels are not the same.”
Many people went on an emotional roller coaster during the 12 hours that TikTok went dark.. Some people who deleted the app seemed to feel like it was for the better. Daniela Bello-Yanes ‘26 said, “I was upset at first but then I realized that I’m more productive now that I don’t have the app and I feel like I get all of my work done right away and I don’t procrastinate as much anymore.”
TikTok is still up and running as of right now but it is uncertain what will happen to the app in the future.US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law banning the app if it is not sold. An executive order is an instruction from the president which has the weight of the law behind it. But Trump’s order does not overturn the ban, and so we could be facing another ban in the future.
Many creators were sad when the app went cold, and are nervous about what the future holds for Tik Tok. Nevaeh Ottenhausen ‘26 likes to create videos on TikTok and couldn’t believe it when the app was gone. “Honestly I thought it was for the better. I had a hard time accepting it at first because I didn’t believe it would happen,” she said.
Due to the ban on TikTok, it is unavailable in any app store. This means that it can’t be downloaded or updated. Over time TikTok will slowly stop working because it is unable to get the updates it needs to work properly. TikTok’s future is uncertain so users might want to prepare themselves in case the app goes dark again.