On January 18th, 2025, TikTok was banned for 12 hours in the United States. The app went dark before opening the next day. Many TikTok users are thanking Donald Trump for taking away the ban, and now, many are left with the question of what will happen to TikTok in the future?

TikTok is a viral social media platform that has been created since 2019. Many of the younger generations enjoy TikTok, and the app itself is one of the most used apps in the world. For years, the government has been wary of the app, arguing that it could be a potential national threat. In 2025, a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. was discussed and heavily debated throughout not only the government, but also the TikTokers on the app.

The government had been suspicious of the Chinese government possibly stealing data from users on TikTok, causing the ban to be enforced nationwide. However, others opposed that the ban of TikTok would violate the first amendment, and was illegal if passed. Unfortunately, congress still passed the ban, leaving TikTok to go dark for several hours.

After 12 hours, the TikTok ban was lifted by current president Donald Trump. Although Trump did not support the app during his first term, he enacted a 75-day extension, which is now being questioned on whether or not congress will continue to act on the ban after the 75 days, leaving the future of TikTok a mystery. But no matter what happens to TikTok in the future, many TikTok influencers and users are happy that the ban is currently lifted for now.

News Editor Tara Gyaltsen said, “I’m honestly fine with the Chinese government spying on me, because what are they going to do with my information? But, now I’m scared that the U.S. government is going to steal my data.”

Many students in BHS have the same reaction to the TikTok ban. Hopefully the TikTok ban gets forgotten with time, and we can continue to endlessly scroll online.