“TikTok has had a significant impact, and so we’re taking a closer look at it,” stated former President Trump. “I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart, to be honest.” Trump’s team did not provide a response to a request for comment from USA TODAY.
The decision to create a ban on TikTok stemmed from concerns about national security, with fears that the Beijing-based company ByteDance may have access to American data and potentially share it with the Chinese government.
In 2020, Trump issued an executive order targeting TikTok, attempting to enforce a ban on the app in the U.S. and prohibit any transactions with the company, as detailed on the Trump White House archival website. However, this ban never came into effect.
In 2021, President Biden revoked Trump’s proposed ban and issued a new executive order regarding ByteDance, highlighting that the company “continues to pose a threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” according to a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit court opinion. Additionally, in 2022, Biden signed a bill prohibiting the use of TikTok on government devices.
There are over 170 million TikTok users based in the U.S., according to a spokesperson for the app who spoke to USA TODAY last month. A November report by the Pew Research Center revealed that at least a third of U.S. adults use TikTok, with around 59% of them being under the age of 30. The report further indicated that 95% of adult users primarily use the app for entertainment.
TikTok currently employs around 7,000 individuals in the U.S., as reported by Reuters. If a ban on TikTok were to be implemented in the U.S., it remains uncertain what the fate of these jobs would be.
Described as a social media platform renowned for its short-form videos, TikTok allows users to create, share, and engage with videos on the app. Its popularity lies in its innovative scrolling algorithm, enabling users to post videos ranging from three seconds to 10 minutes in duration. Users have the option to incorporate various filters, backgrounds, music, and stickers into their videos.
Contributors: Maureen Groppe and Karissa Waddick
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretalcross. Have a story idea? Reach out to her via email at gcross@gannett.com.
Anthony Robledo covers national trending news for USA TODAY. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @anthonyarobledo or contact him via email at arobledo@usatoday.com.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: “Will they ban TikTok in the US? What to know before the January deadline.”
